What do ya'll suggest for a white backdrop?

brookie418 · Aug 12, 2010

I am looking to get a white backdrop, but need some suggestions!! I have heard some say they use butcher paper for their white backdrops? All I have ever done is on-location photography and have never had a studio so I would love your input! Thanks!

Big Mike · Aug 12, 2010

Seamless paper (roll) is usually a good choice. You can get it in different widths; 6', 10' and maybe even 12'.

The benefits are that it's clean & smooth when you roll it out. The down side is that it's not very durable and will get dirt quite easily. But when it gets dirty or torn, you just cut it off and roll out more...but then of course, it's a consumable asset and you would need to keep buying more as you need it.

Another option would be a sheet of white vinyl. It would be a lot more durable than paper. I have one and it works well, but the downside is that because I've rolled & folded it up for transport, it isn't perfectly smooth anymore. It's still easy to make it look smooth & white in a photo...but not so much if I want to create a gradient.

Keep in mind that even with a white backdrop, you will likely need additional lighting to get a truly white background in your photos.

kundalini · Aug 12, 2010

To add on to what Big Mike said.......

Zack Arias
zarias.com :: The blog of editorial photographer Zack Arias White Seamless Tutorial :: Part 1 :: Gear & Space

KmH · Aug 12, 2010

To have a nice white background in my photos, I use gray seamless paper: Savage 107" x 12yds Background Paper 27-12 - B&H Photo

I also use the gray seamless for all the other colors I want my background to be.

Derrel · Aug 12, 2010

I often use gray as well...it can be key-shifted to white pretty easily, plus you can shoot on gray as well, which is neutral, easy to work with, and can easily be selected and knocked out in post.

DanEitreim · Aug 31, 2010

Hit it with enough light and anything can be made to appear white. For simple headshot type portraits, a white wall is plenty. White sheets are popular too but don't fold them, roll them on a tube when not in use or the creases will show in your photos.

msf · Aug 31, 2010

Ive been using a large unfitted bed sheet. pain is its impossible to get completely wrinkle free, no matter how much you iron it. But you can digitally iron it but thats time consuming. But if you want a pure white sheet, give it more light and blow out the wrinkles.

ive been buying two bed sheets for each color I want to use, and put one on the ground and one on the backdrop, then clean up the seam in photoshop.

One idea ive had is to buy 6 or 9 or more of the throws from sams. They are very soft and cool for bg's. stitch them together and hopefully it will look seamless. Problem is it would get pretty heavy, but probably lighter than a roll of paper. Its a bigger investment though, $15 * 9 = $135. But thats cheap compared to a muslin I think.

David Dvir · Sep 2, 2010

I use the lastolite hilite. It may be expensive but its very reusable and will last you a long time/a lot of shoots. It's SUPER portable and very fast to set up and tear down. You can also toss on optional cloths to make it black, grey, whatever even chromatic green or blue. I've used this a ton and it's great!

Big Mike · Sep 2, 2010

Ive been using a large unfitted bed sheet. pain is its impossible to get completely wrinkle free, no matter how much you iron it. But you can digitally iron it but thats time consuming. But if you want a pure white sheet, give it more light and blow out the wrinkles.

I have a vinyl backdrop that has plenty of small wrinkles. The trick to to cross light it (one light on either side), that way I get a nice clean white background.

ive been buying two bed sheets for each color I want to use, and put one on the ground and one on the backdrop, then clean up the seam in photoshop.

I'd think that using paper would be a much easier solution...unless you have to travel with the paper.

As Keith always points out, you can get rolls of paper from B&H for as little as $35 (I think)...and because he's a member of NAPP, he gets free shipping. You'd be hard pressed to find two good sized bed sheets for that.

msf · Sep 2, 2010

Big Mike said:
Ive been using a large unfitted bed sheet. pain is its impossible to get completely wrinkle free, no matter how much you iron it. But you can digitally iron it but thats time consuming. But if you want a pure white sheet, give it more light and blow out the wrinkles.

Click to expand...

I have a vinyl backdrop that has plenty of small wrinkles. The trick to to cross light it (one light on either side), that way I get a nice clean white background.

I still havent mastered the art of evenly lighting the background from portable flashes. Theres always the bright spot there the flash is closest and then fades out noticiably. Put them on opposite sides and the outside of the bg is the brightest and the center where they meet is noticably darker in the pictures. this isnt to much of a problem with white but its a problem with blue and red. And with red, a red hue comes off of the bg and hits the subject and gives them a reddish cast.

ive been buying two bed sheets for each color I want to use, and put one on the ground and one on the backdrop, then clean up the seam in photoshop.

Click to expand...

I'd think that using paper would be a much easier solution...unless you have to travel with the paper.

As Keith always points out, you can get rolls of paper from B&H for as little as $35 (I think)...and because he's a member of NAPP, he gets free shipping. You'd be hard pressed to find two good sized bed sheets for that.

I just use two sheets from walmart, its like $10 or $12 total. I thought about the paper, but then you have to keep buying more when the roll gets used up, and a roll seems to only have enough for a few full sets of bg and foreground, so maybe 6 if only the bottom gets dirty. So this will increase the cost of each shoot for me.

I did try buying a steamer but it wasnt a good enough one and all it did was make the bg wet. didnt get rid of the wrinkles.

im tempted to undo how my stand is setup *made it myself out of pvc tubing* and instead of having each sheet on a roller that I manually roll up and down, put it on a rod and pull it like a shower curtain. problem with rolling is it doesnt go on exactly smooth and forms lil wrinkles that gets creased pretty good as it rolls. with a curtain it wont be as bad. and easier to pull to the side when not used and pull out when used. Then I dont ahve to worry about showing butt crack or underwear when I get up on the chair and stretch to roll the thing up.

I got to get me some shirts from the big and tall store, I didnt use to have that problem.

edit > im more tall than big.

Big Mike · Sep 2, 2010

I just use two sheets from walmart, its like $10 or $12 total. I thought about the paper, but then you have to keep buying more when the roll gets used up, and a roll seems to only have enough for a few full sets of bg and foreground, so maybe 6 if only the bottom gets dirty. So this will increase the cost of each shoot for me.

Yes, but keep in mind how much it's 'costing' you to do the PP. It may not be a monetary value, but it's certainly costing you time.

And if you are running a business, time is money. If you are running a busy photography business...money is made when you are behind the camera and lost when you are sitting in front of a computer.

Just something to think about.

msf · Sep 2, 2010

I was replying to this part and comparing the price of 2 bed sheets.

As Keith always points out, you can get rolls of paper from B&H for as little as $35 (I think)...and because he's a member of NAPP, he gets free shipping. You'd be hard pressed to find two good sized bed sheets for that.

I do like the bg used in that vid that david posted. Ill have to find out how much it costs.

right now the studio is not where I do most of my pictures, I prefer to do on location. But I have the studio to meet with people, and for rainy or days that are to cold to be outside.

I do realize I waste alot of time in photoshop with the studio shots, but right now a new computer would probably save me the most time. This one wanst to bad with 8mp pictures but its getting frustrating with 18mp pictures. Just wiating to be able to justify it with enough business.

business is starting to pick up a bit thankfully, hopefully itll remain so.

msf · Sep 2, 2010

Love hte Lastolite bg, not a big fan of the price.

Lastolite HiLite Chromakey Background - 7 x 8' LL LB8878 - B&H

$650

Itll have to be one of those things that stays on my list of things to get for a while.

then again I could probably make something liek that for myself. wont be portable but itll be good for the studio. I wonder what kind of fabric would be best, any advice?

msf · Oct 12, 2010

I am looking for the thread that gave suggestions for portable background setups. I dont even know which forum I read it on.

They gave some great advice, instead of using a sheet on the ground, they use two pieces of hard plastic and have the frotn one over lap the back one so you dont really see the drop off in the picture. I think they said they just got siding for a shower at lowes/home depot, but I am not 100% sure. I would really like to know. Then you put the background over the back of the last sheet so its "seamless". I think they talked about using an inflateable background that you can put a flash inside to light it up inside out.

Does anyone have any idea what im talking about? I am going to the city today so Ill stop by lowes if I have time. I just dont want to waste time walking around not knowing what to actually look for.

I just did some gymnastics portraits and I had to fix the sheet on the ground every third picture it seemed. wasnt to bad, but its also wrinkled in the pictures.