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backdrop materials
Does anyone have some good info on backdrop materials? I have a big roll of white paper, a bunch of muslin stuff, and some bolts of different fabrics I got up on 40th Street, but I don't really have a grasp on what the differences are between say paper and velvetine in terms of results. I'm looking here - Ched Jun 20 05 11:16 am Link Man all i know is you better pick well or forever be called the wrinkled bedshoot photogrpaher..... I use a Black and Red from amvona.com - I believe its their volour (ish) material - It is awsome - smells like hell - but it really eats light in black and is Really red in red.. Jun 20 05 02:13 pm Link Posted by Ched: Yeh, pretty much the velvatine stuff is about color saturation. With black, you'll see nothing but black. Jun 20 05 02:43 pm Link Posted by Brent Burzycki: Febreze is your friwnd when dealing with backdrops. Jun 20 05 05:58 pm Link I like large sheets of seamless black felt, personally. Where have you found large black felt sheets?? Jun 20 05 06:04 pm Link I like Polartec...black, red, dark blue. Very light, almost wrinkle proof & can be used as a model blanket when outdoors. A 9x12ft sheet is about $20.00 at Wally World or Hobby Lobby. Jun 20 05 06:11 pm Link If you have a fabric store in your area,I believe Joanns is a national chain and they sell lots of muslin type material that you can dye if you don't like the color,they also have lots of sheer fabric that will take any color lighting very nicely.There is also a store here called linens and things that sells huge curtains sheer and velour that are just the right size for a small backdrop system and are great as floor throws.I have some photos of some of the sheers lit up if you would like to ee them. Jun 24 05 09:48 pm Link I use fabrics alot. When I lived in DC I would always make it a point to hit 40th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues whenever I was in New York so I could get the good stuff to shoot with. I even bought a fabric steamer to smooth them out, works even better than febreeze. John Allan answered my real question, but thanks for all the responses. Interesting about Linens and Things. Any idea what they're charging for a sheer curtain that large? I would like to see the pictures. Jun 25 05 12:33 am Link I'm the director of production for an opera house... how's a seamless piece of cloth 60' wide by 40' high sound??? most local fabric places only have 54" wide the only place anyone needs to go for big cloth is called Rosebrand, they're online, you can get a hard copy of the catalog. They make custom sized drops. They carry more types of material than any of us have tought of. Check 'em out. rosebrand.com 800-223-1624 Jun 25 05 10:48 am Link My issue with almost anything other than the backdrop houses is that there's not enough size to work with. I like to shoot from low angles, high angles, and do a lot of multiple-people doing things together, and even a 9 foot width pretty much limits things. Rick, I'd KILL (not you) for that drop. I used to work in live theater and remember well the huge expanses of muslin we used to get. Thanks for the rosebrand tip. I did a trip to linens and things, and they had some incredibly nice smooth polyester blend (read: no wrinkles without ironing) tablecloths at 12 feet by 8 feet, which is just fine for one person portraits. Bought one, then returned it when I realized I could buy large muslin for less. Found nothing in sheer curtains large enough, and when looking at the sheers for draping sets or models, there was too high of a ratio of "drapery looking stuff" - curtain hook pockets, weight pockets, etc. What do people use if you're in studio renting mode? I can't get a 12 foot wide roll of seamless in my car. I want two or three "no impact on the image" backdrops - pure white, pure black, in at least 12 foot width, and at least 18 foot length so I can do white blowout, blackout, or greenscreen. Jun 25 05 07:15 pm Link Posted by Ed Nazarko: Rent a cargo van. Jun 25 05 08:53 pm Link rosebrand has rental drops in loads of pre done sizes. they have ties or pipe pockets top and bottom (sometimes sides,too) Jun 25 05 10:11 pm Link Posted by Rick Edwards: Very nice. Jun 25 05 11:13 pm Link What I do for cheap backgrounds is buy fabric from wherever, then I use heat fuse tape for the edges and I put two pieces together to make it wide enough. Works like a charm and the type and patterns that I have been picking out you don't see the seem of where the two pieces together. The only kind that I have had a problem with is some sheer fabric. You can see the seem on those. Jun 25 05 11:13 pm Link My main tact with fabric is to create a layering effect. I have my regular black or white backdrop, then I drape the translucent/sheer fabrics about 2-3 feet behind the model and make sure no shadows hit. Gives great dimension and depth. My current avatar with Jessica in the silk (also a fabric sample) was done this way, only here it came out looking more like a painted backdrop (which it wasn't at all). Jun 26 05 01:57 am Link I've had best results as far as smoothness with fresh rolls of paper or white walls. For fabric backdrops, I dye cotton/linen in my bathtub. you can buy fabric as cheap as $1 a yard at quite a number of fabric stores. Bring a flashlight and see if it reflects light. If it does, you don't want it unless it's part of your plan. Jun 27 05 06:30 pm Link Posted by AlexNorden: That's a great trick, I'll have to take one with me next time. Jun 27 05 09:56 pm Link |
