mysteryscribe
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2006
- Messages
- 6,071
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- in the middle of north carolina
- Website
- retrophotoservice.2ya.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Now here is something you wont see everyday....
I am a huge fan of Edward Weston. In reading his daybooks (journals) I saw the plans for his outdoor portable portrait background. When I first saw it, I wasn't really impressed. At the time I had a full studio with lights and hanging backgrounds all over the place. At this time all that is gone as I have been retired for about five years. I find myself ready to go back to work on at least a limited basis so now it is of interest.
Retirement is a bore.
My studio became my workshot and half-dark room so I had a huge problem. How to shoot pictures and yet not tear down my playroom. (simi dark room and table top still life set up. While I was considering it, a thread here reminded me of Weston's day books then of the backdrop.
Weston's backdrop was not intended to leave his yard. Just like me Weston didn't have a pickup truck or SUV. It was designed by him to be stable and to be somewhat adjustable. What kind of adjustments, you ask. His background could be tilted to catch more or less light. My guess is so that it could be used in most any sunlight condition. I am going to have to experiment with that after I get it finished.
If you have access to a pickup truck this would be a whole lot easier. I didn't so it was a bit more work. Everything came home in the trunk of my midsized car. It also all fell out when I turned into my driveway.
Here is what you need. First you need three 24" by 48" sheets of masonite. These come precut at the home center. Then you need four 1x2 by 8' strips, also 2 2'x2'x8' boards. One 2x4 long enough to cut 2 18" pieces from. box of 1/2" wood screws two shelf L brackets. couple of lag bolts and a couple of nut an bolt sets to hold the L bracket to the 4x6ft panel.
step one
lay your three sheets of maxonite on the ground butted against each other to make a 6'x4' panel. Cut the 1x2 into lengths to build a frame around it and on all four sides, then cut two more strips for the inside joints. Screw the masonite to the strips with the 1/2 wood screws. This step takes about ten minutes.
Cut your 2x2 to a length of 6ft each. Then mount them staight up to the 2x4 pads. This makes an upside down T with a hell of a long leg. I personally drilled a hole in the 2x4 with a counter sink for the head of a lag bolt. Then I glued the bottom of the 2x4 and drilled a pilot hole in it. I assembled it and then put in a couple of corner braces. You can do it anyway you like.
The 4'x6' panel gets a shelf L bracket half was up on each side. A hole is drilled in the appropiate place about four feet from the bottom of the 2x2 end post..... The one central holder point should allow the panel to tilt forward and back to change the amount of light it collects. At least that's what Weston said. I have a piece of canvas I did a Rembrant style background on so I plan to attach it to the panel. I also have a some cloth background i can drape over it if I need colors for some reason.
I am in the final stage of construction and will test it soon. I know one thing for sure this is more stable than my savage paper holder. This thing costs under 25bucks to build and should be easy to assemble and use. I'll let you know when I get a chance to shoot with it.
I am a huge fan of Edward Weston. In reading his daybooks (journals) I saw the plans for his outdoor portable portrait background. When I first saw it, I wasn't really impressed. At the time I had a full studio with lights and hanging backgrounds all over the place. At this time all that is gone as I have been retired for about five years. I find myself ready to go back to work on at least a limited basis so now it is of interest.
Retirement is a bore.
My studio became my workshot and half-dark room so I had a huge problem. How to shoot pictures and yet not tear down my playroom. (simi dark room and table top still life set up. While I was considering it, a thread here reminded me of Weston's day books then of the backdrop.
Weston's backdrop was not intended to leave his yard. Just like me Weston didn't have a pickup truck or SUV. It was designed by him to be stable and to be somewhat adjustable. What kind of adjustments, you ask. His background could be tilted to catch more or less light. My guess is so that it could be used in most any sunlight condition. I am going to have to experiment with that after I get it finished.
If you have access to a pickup truck this would be a whole lot easier. I didn't so it was a bit more work. Everything came home in the trunk of my midsized car. It also all fell out when I turned into my driveway.
Here is what you need. First you need three 24" by 48" sheets of masonite. These come precut at the home center. Then you need four 1x2 by 8' strips, also 2 2'x2'x8' boards. One 2x4 long enough to cut 2 18" pieces from. box of 1/2" wood screws two shelf L brackets. couple of lag bolts and a couple of nut an bolt sets to hold the L bracket to the 4x6ft panel.
step one
lay your three sheets of maxonite on the ground butted against each other to make a 6'x4' panel. Cut the 1x2 into lengths to build a frame around it and on all four sides, then cut two more strips for the inside joints. Screw the masonite to the strips with the 1/2 wood screws. This step takes about ten minutes.
Cut your 2x2 to a length of 6ft each. Then mount them staight up to the 2x4 pads. This makes an upside down T with a hell of a long leg. I personally drilled a hole in the 2x4 with a counter sink for the head of a lag bolt. Then I glued the bottom of the 2x4 and drilled a pilot hole in it. I assembled it and then put in a couple of corner braces. You can do it anyway you like.
The 4'x6' panel gets a shelf L bracket half was up on each side. A hole is drilled in the appropiate place about four feet from the bottom of the 2x2 end post..... The one central holder point should allow the panel to tilt forward and back to change the amount of light it collects. At least that's what Weston said. I have a piece of canvas I did a Rembrant style background on so I plan to attach it to the panel. I also have a some cloth background i can drape over it if I need colors for some reason.
I am in the final stage of construction and will test it soon. I know one thing for sure this is more stable than my savage paper holder. This thing costs under 25bucks to build and should be easy to assemble and use. I'll let you know when I get a chance to shoot with it.