Info On Backdrops

Dooginfif20

So here I am. Currently deployed and have some time on my hands to order some stuff for my arrival. As of right now I have a good 4-8 shoots lined up ranging from family to maternity/newborn. I am trying to get together a mobile studio for now as I dont really know where I am going to end up in 2 months as I am getting out of the Navy. I am looking for a good quality 10'x20' backdrop in either black or gray. I saw online (cant see videos because the bandwith is too slow) you can shoot a gray background and make it white or black. Also I have some gels as I like to pop colors off the backdrop so I am thing gray is the best choice. The biggest issue is that I need one upon my arrival as I have a shoot within days. I cant pick one up and feel it and see if it will work, so I am going to my fellow photographers on here for help. I want a good quailty backdrop that wont have issues with light passing through. Also if you dont mind please post links and your experiences with the linked item. I searched and searched previous threads on here and didnt really get the info I was looking for, so that is the reason for this post. I appreciate any and all information you can provide me!

Ryan

Musetek

Hi Ryan, I was advised a while back that you can cobble a backdrop together at significant savings by going to any good fabrics type store (JoAnn Fabrics, etc.) and looking for a heavy muslin cloth. Now I'm not sure what sort of choice you'll have in colors with that sort of fabric; you might have to settle for black or white, rather than gray. But hopefully it's worth checking on.

I was never able to find affordable studio space, so I don't have much experience with that size of commercial backdrop. However, for a mobile gig, if you're looking to do singles / couples headshots, I can recommend the collapsible disc backgrounds (remember you'll need a stand for these) made by Westcott and others. Here's what Adorama has:

http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=itemlist&cat1=Flash/Lighting&cat2=Backgrounds%20%26%20Background%20Support%20Equipment&cat3=Collapsible%20Disc%20Backgrounds&Feature1=Westcott

HTH and good luck.

perroneford

Just a few comments here.

1. Yes, you can turn a gray background white or black. Turning it white requires quite a bit of power. Turning it black requires quite a bit of space. Two things that are difficult to come by in a mobile scenario. You'd do MUCH better by actually buying a white and a black background.

2. Light is going to transmit through nearly any background. Your best bet there is to place the background against a wall or as near to it as you can. It is possible to mostly stop that light transmission, but those background are REALLY expensive, and very heavy. Again, not ideal for a mobile studio situation.

3. As Musetek has noted, you can cobble something together, but sometimes you just don't WANT to cobble something. If you are going to go the DIY route, Bleached muslin, doubled up, is a reasonable solution for a white background. You'll want to sew a 3" hem into both the top and bottom to provide a way for your background cross pole to slide through and support the background. And you might also want to grommet it for an alternate hanging method. A better solution is sailcloth, but it's expensive, heavy, and probably overkill for a mobile studio.

4. I have backgrounds by Westcott, Botero, and Matthews. I love the Matthews stuff but it's REALLY expensive and probably not what you want to deal with. The Botero stuff is a bit thin but workable. Same with the Westcott stuff. I can't remember which black background I bought but it's decent and hanging in my studio now. I'll check when I get home.

Dooginfif20

Thanks guys for all the feedback! So my wife purchased a Savage Port-o-Stand for me and I guess it comes with a roll of white seemless so that is covered. I am thinking I will want to gel the background in some situations and I was curious if any of you have had experience with gelling a black background vs a gray background. I read you get deeper richer color on black. I havent been able to find any side by side comparisons so I dont know how true that is.

Now as for the aspect of am I a DIY or just buy kinda guy? My wife is the DIY and I am the just buy. The only reason I dont want to purchase the fabric is the fact that fabric from Joanns doesnt come in 10' wide so I would have to run a stitch down the middle of two peices. I am currently job hunting and we may end up with a place with a garage, so if that happens then I will end up being less mobile as I should have plenty of space. The one I was looking at was a 10x20 Savage gray that was 10lbs and just under $200.

Perroneford- I read up on the Wescott stuff and a lot of people were saying its basically a large bed sheet. That is gonna be too thin for me. I am a pretty big guy (6-2 210lbs) so if a backdrop is a little heavy its no biggie. I help a friend in his studio all the time and he has some seriously beefy muslins, but the ones he has just arent really my style.

Musetek- I personally like the pop up backgrounds, but they are a tad on the small size. I do a good amount of in home family stuff and those backgrounds wouldnt be anywhere close to big enough. I think I will look at getting a 10x20 black muslin.

Either of you ever shoot a car? I am curious if 10x20 would be big enough for a car in a studio. Just thinkin out loud! Thanks for all the help guys it is greatly appreciated!

Ryan

perroneford

Be careful with seamless paper. As a friend of mine just found out after visiting my studio and looking at everything closely for the first time... he asked why all my stuff was fabric and not paper. I pointed to the bags where I keep my folded muslins... and then asked him how he intended to transport his 10ft wide seamless for mobile use.

I have not gelled a background yet for photography. I have used gels in film-making but that is quite a different application.

I am also a large guy (6'0", 240) but the issue with the heavy pieces is more than just carrying them around. How are the cross pole and stands you got? Savage isn't known for being heavy duty. That's why I use Matthews stands with a Manfrotto crosspole. In the studio, I have Matthpoles instead of stands as they are a LOT more sturdy.

I have a pop up background for shooting infinity white. It is a Lastolite highlighter. It's 7ft x 8ft. Does ok for a single person, or maybe 2. Wouldn't use it for any group larger than that.

And as for shooting a car, 10x20 isn't even going to be close. You're looking at more like a 20x30.

Dooginfif20

How hard is it to keep the white muslin clean? My friend has both paper and vinyl and his vinyl looks a little horrid now after a couple years of use. I am thinking if I end up shooting out of a garage I will probably just mount all the muslins on a cable system with clips. The savage one had some pretty good reviews and it should be able to handle 10 lbs. There is another photographer on a different forum who uses the same backdrop set with all kinds of stuff and she says she hasnt had any problems with weight.

I will look into the pop up background, but I still skeptical about them.

Wowsa ya 20x30 would be massive and would probably be best hung from the cieling or clipped to something.

perroneford

I just toss the white muslin in my washing machine when needed. I even wash my 20x24 backdrops that way. I have a front loader so that makes it easier. But I am going to vinyl. I've already got it, just haven't installed it yet because I am working on some black background, low key stuff this summer. The vinyl can be painted so that's what I intend to do.

The pop-up backgrounds have their place. I've used mine for a number of pieces, but I am really looking forward to going vinyl instead.

The problem with shooting cars, is that you need the car well back from the background so as not to throw shadows. And once you start to move it off from the background, the triangulation means you are going to need a WIDE piece for a background.

Dooginfif20

I think for now I will just get a white muslin and a black muslin both in 10x20. If I end up going away from mobile then I will look into vinyl. Do you have a link for the Matthews stuff? I cant seem to find it.

perroneford

Looks like Matthews no longer has the stuff. I guess you could buy it as "butterfly's but that might be prohibitively expensive. The other main place to get big stuff is the Rag Place. They mostly deal with Hollywood and the film industry, but I've worked with them before.

http://www.theragplace.com/solids-backings.htm

They can do whatever you want, but as the commercial says... bring your Visa card, because they aren't cheap!

-P

LilRed

I don't generally ask questions on Digital Grin… I received my first painted 10x20 muslin and it of course it has wrinkles. The company I ordered it from said to hang it or lay it flat to get the wrinkles out. This may take a while! Anyone else have any suggestions? I was told not to iron it or put it in the drier. Steaming it may be an idea but this would require another purchase. What to do?