Best (inexpensive) type of backgrounds for Studio/Portrait type photos

[chuasam]

Seamless paper or dry wall
If you want to get more serious, get a colour checker passport and be sure to white balance and calibrate your camera.

 

[dennybeall]

Using a green screen for a background and Photoshop to make it anything you want from a beech to a nice texture seems to be the easiest solution. Why would you choose to do any of the other things mentioned when it seems they could be duplicated in Photoshop? Let me get my asbestos suit....... OK, GO!

 

[Didereaux]

Using a green screen for a background and Photoshop to make it anything you want from a beech to a nice texture seems to be the easiest solution. Why would you choose to do any of the other things mentioned when it seems they could be duplicated in Photoshop? Let me get my asbestos suit....... OK, GO!

Using a green screen to cut & paste backgrounds is simple. The problem is that unless EXTREME care, and excruciating attention to detail is used the product does not stand up to even moderate scrutiny. It works best if the subject has clean sharp outline, hair and such is impossible to do with the same repcisiion as a clean shot. Try it on a portrait of a woman with long flowing, blowing, or fuzzy hair. No, green screen has its uses, but it is far from being a panacea.

By far, in fact hands down, it is the all white continuous backdrop that is most useful for portraits, product, fashion and such. Using the lighting including gobos, and gels.

 

[Forkie]

You can also buy a piece of corrugated sheet metal for $12 which can be lit and shot numerous ways! Just wear gloves as it can be sharp before treated

This is something I hadn't thought of!
Want to try this NOW!

 

[CameraClicker]

I have some hand painted canvas, which is nice when you want a more colourful background. The rest of the time I use white seamless paper. I have green too, but find it causes colour cast. White works best for me because you can still cut someone out and put them on a different background if you want, and you can use gels too.

 

[mcap1972]

Seamless works the best. You can get vinyl or paper.

 

[astroNikon]

I ended up getting muslin in
solid white --> Adorama Solid Color 10 x 20FT Muslin Background, White 701L
and solid black --> Adorama Solid Color 10 x 12Ft Muslin Background, Black 702S

I really didn't have any place to store seamless white in a wide format and I've found I can't quite get 10 feet wide as it is in my "home" studio as it double lol as my kids play area. So the muslin folds up nicely. And on the BG support I clip the sides to make it tight to remove wrinkles.

PLUS I love the GEL idea. I went from a simple gel example --> Rosco Roscolux Swatch Book,Small Sampler of Filter 8807
which worked good for testing but I noticed since the GEL was so close to the flash that it could easily get blown out and create white spots.

to this --> Smith Victor 650021 Color Effects Rainbow Filter Pack 650021
where now the big filter is about 6 inches in front of the flash hanging in front of it. I made a jig for this from coated copper wire (from electrical wire) and simply taped it to the side of the flash ,, bent it in various ways in order to put two Binder Clips on either side to hold the filter steady.
Now the color is consistent across a wide area and can cover not only the BG but also the part on the floor.

 

[MichaelHenson]

Awesome stuff everyone! I just read through this and will be picking up pretty much exactly what you did when I begin to get more into indoor/studio photography. I'd love to see how you are planning to hang the background once you get it set up!

 

[astroNikon]

The Background muslin actually is sleeved. So you push the horizontal pole (which comes in 3 pieces for 10 ft wide - but I only use 2) through the sleeve. Then I raise the BG all the way to the ceiling (which is very short in my basement - no photos of anyone 7 ft).

This is the BackGround support system I bought --> JTL 10 x10 Feet Heavy Duty Steel Background Support Set 5022
there's plenty other options including wide, shorter, less $$ etc


The I bought some "clips" at the local hardware store .. something like this but a package of them at homedepot or someplace which I use to keep it tight cliping it to the vertical posts -->Roughneck Heavy-Duty Plastic Hand Clips Range | Power Tools Direct

 

[MichaelHenson]

Nice. I'm considering building my own with some PVC pipe since I'm not too worried about the aesthetics or portability...Not sure if that would save me any $$ though.

 

[astroNikon]

Nice. I'm considering building my own with some PVC pipe since I'm not too worried about the aesthetics or portability...Not sure if that would save me any $$ though.

My original BG support solution was two rope loops hanging from the ceiling and using a shower curtain rod hung from those two loops.

 

[MichaelHenson]

See!?!? Great minds...I thought about the shower curtain rod but I envisioned wire instead of rope...

 

[ronlane]

I should have responded a while ago. I was thinking 2-3 pieces of corrugated metal. Then youtube how to make it rusted and weathered.

 

[astroNikon]

See!?!? Great minds...I thought about the shower curtain rod but I envisioned wire instead of rope...

I initially tried wire. But removing the rod was much harder with metal wire. And considering I'm shorter it was problematic. The rope, being more flexible was easy to pull the rod out. FYI, The rod did have ends on them which prevented them from just falling out if the BG was pushed or something.

 

[fotomonkey]

I do it like astroNikon. I have muslin background of 10-12' and a 12' stand (well, up to 12 depending on how many sections you use). I also have seamless paper in white.

I haven't seen it in a while but I picked up a sheet of faux brick paneling for next to nothing. Sort of like the corrugated metal idea.