| You've studied all the various camera settings and | | | | and has to be constantly replaced. If there are |
| by now you've learned all about the difference | | | | animals in the session, the papery feel and crinkly |
| between shutter speed and f-stop. Thanks to | | | | sounds freak them out. |
| your studies of lighting patterns, the difference | | | | Painted Canvas - These can provide some truly |
| between butterfly and split lighting is an obvious | | | | stunning portraits. Many backdrop suppliers create |
| no brainer... Now, it's time to consider the | | | | them and they can be ordered over the internet |
| backdrop. | | | | if you don't happen to be near a supplier. |
| In my experience, having over 6000 professional | | | | Pros - Depending on the creator, they can be |
| sessions under my belt, MOST people prefer to | | | | stunningly beautiful. There are thousands of colors |
| have a natural setting rather than a formal | | | | and patterns available and if you have something |
| backdrop. | | | | unique in mind, you can have one created just for |
| For example... | | | | you, to match your exact specifications. They are |
| If you're shooting Indoors - possibilities may | | | | very durable and will last years. They come in |
| include posing your subjects on the floor around | | | | many sizes and can be used in a seamless sweep. |
| the fireplace, (always have a fire burning or it | | | | Cons - They are |
| appears as nothing but a black hole in the final | | | | EXPENSIVE!EXPENSIVE!EXPENSIVE! Again, like |
| print), or they could be posed on and around their | | | | paper, the wider ones are heavy, difficult work |
| furniture in the living room, etc. | | | | with and to transport. Like paper, size vs. living |
| Outside portraits could be in their back yard, at | | | | room furniture is a challenge. |
| the beach, a local park, etc. Anyplace that has | | | | Seamless paper and canvas backgrounds tend to |
| meaning for THEM! | | | | be the province of professional studios - where |
| Mostly people just want a beautiful portrait that | | | | they can be mounted on the walls and just pulled |
| singles them out as individuals - rather than just | | | | down when needed. |
| another group posed in front of the same old pull | | | | They are really difficult to work with in the field. |
| down screen that everyone else uses. | | | | I recommend that you go to the fabric store and |
| Whenever possible, ALWAYS try for a location | | | | get strips of material. As wide as is available and |
| that has meaning for THEM... | | | | about 12 feet long. Getting some sort of material |
| However, if you must use a formal backdrop, | | | | that either doesn't easily wrinkle, or where |
| here are a few suggestions... | | | | wrinkles won't matter is best. |
| First - buy a commercially available background | | | | Pros - Choose the type and colors you like, you |
| stand to hold your backdrops. They don't cost | | | | can get any color, style and texture that suits |
| much and for ease of use, stability, | | | | your fancy. It can be hung bunched up (like |
| transportability etc. it's better than making your | | | | theater curtains) behind the subject, or stretched |
| own. | | | | flat if only one piece is needed. One piece can also |
| For this discussion, I'm assuming you DO NOT | | | | be used as a seamless sweep. |
| own a professional portrait studio and are doing | | | | You can use one piece or thirty - no matter how |
| your sessions in your home (or your customer's | | | | wide your backdrop needs are, you can easily |
| home). | | | | accommodate them. |
| There are several types of backdrop materials: | | | | It's easy to store and transport (just fold up the |
| Paper- Large rolls of paper come in most any | | | | strips and put them in a box in the back seat of |
| color you can imagine. They can be purchased at | | | | your car!) Material is very inexpensive compared |
| many local camera stores and are relatively | | | | to a painted canvas (which can run into the |
| inexpensive. | | | | thousands of dollars) It's reusable so it works out |
| Pros - They are readily available - are fairly | | | | to be cheaper than paper in the long run. |
| inexpensive - come in most any color you can | | | | Use another piece of two for the flooring and |
| imagine. They can be used in a "sweep" so the | | | | since it's flexible, it can be flowed around furniture. |
| model(s) can sit or stand on the paper and have | | | | Animals have no problem walking on it. (It's |
| it seamlessly sweep up behind them. Paper rolls | | | | washable too!). |
| come in two basic widths (around 4 feet and | | | | Cons - If you want several strips (and you do!), |
| around 9 feet as I recall, I don't often use them). | | | | you may have difficulty finding enough of the |
| Cons - The smaller size isn't wide enough for | | | | same material. If you live near the garment |
| much more than a head shot while the wider size | | | | district in a large city, they may have it. |
| is very heavy - difficult to transport - and most | | | | Otherwise you may have to have your local |
| homes don't have enough "empty" space to | | | | fabric store special order it for you. |
| sweep it without moving around the furniture. | | | | These are the major backdrop considerations and |
| (People really don't like you redecorating for | | | | you should have no trouble finding the perfect |
| them!) The paper gets dirty, gets creased, tears | | | | backdrops for YOUR creative vision! |