Background for portraits

[Sweetsomedays]

What do you use and where do you get it? I'm not going pro or anything, this is just for family stuff but I would like to use something other then my blankets and sheets.

 

[Garbz]

Get blankets / sheets, bunch them up and tie them up tightly with rope and die them. Makes for very professional looking cheap portrait backgrounds. www.diyphotography.net

 

[R-V]

I started with sheets from big department store. White, Black and Gray. If also added fantasy cloth I purchased from http://backdropoutlet.com/catalog/. I modify the back ground color with gels. This give me many options so my portraits made at home do not all have same background.

Russell

 

[hamburger]

You don't happen to have any handy walls covered in nice, un-noisy wallpaper? Some of the walls in my living-room have a marbled light blue wallpaper that makes for an instant if not very professional backdrop...

 

[fmw]

I like to make portraits of people doing what they do, surrounded by what they use, and in the locale in which they do it.

 

[kundalini]

Just this past week, I returned my application to volunteer at my local SPCA shelter to photograph the animals that need a good home. I recently purchased some basic studio gear - umbrella, reflectors, light stands and bits & pieces. It's a double whammy because (a) the obvious, I can invest my time to help those that can't necessarily help themselves and (b) it's an opportunity to hone my flash skills.

I checked out

Get blankets / sheets, bunch them up and tie them up tightly with rope and die them. Makes for very professional looking cheap portrait backgrounds. www.diyphotography.net

and it's another double whammy. (a) I love creative & inexpensive methods to accomplish my goals and (b) I'm crazy for tie-dye.

I've read enough references for using muslin as backdrops to know it's a fabric of choice and I'm only guessing it has non-reflective properties.

My question would be what colors will work for animals. I was originally thinking just black and white depending on the animal's color. But with a tie-dye I have to revisit that thought. Any suggestions?

 

[FidelCastrovich]

The best background=f1.4

 

[Sweetsomedays]

Thank you every one for the good idea's. I will have to try dying the sheets....my son will love that art project

 

[Neuner]

I grab mine from the local fabric store. It's very cheap with some great finishes. Lately I've been using some velvety fabric for a soft light absorbing look.