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Seamless Paper Colors
I know there isn't a "one right answer" to this question, but what colors of seamless paper is everyone using? I am making the much needed transition from wrinkled bed sheets to seamless paper. If I knew how relatively inexpensive seamless paper was, I would have started out using it. I want to get a white, a gray and some "fun" colors. I'm looking at the Savage Paper website and they have 3 different shades of white and 15 different shades of gray. For white they have Super White, White, and Pure White. For Gray they have Stone Gray, Gray Sky, Suede Gray, Slate Gray, Thunder Gray, Light Gray, Gray Tint, Fashion Gray, Cool Gray, Focus Gray, TV Gray, Storm Gray, Machine Gray, Smoke Gray, & Dove Gray. If I'm going with my gut tuition, I'm going to say Storm gray and Super white. Just checking to see if anyone else is using these shades and making sure they don't put off some sort of strange color cast. I'm also going to get a couple other "fun" colors at the same time. Probably Primary Red, Deep Yellow and Turquoise. I'm guessing those will put off a color cast. Any ways to minimize it, or just live with it and remove color cast in Photoshop? Thanks in advance for any answers anyone can provide! Mar 08 08 07:08 pm Link I would also recommend Black. Mar 08 08 07:10 pm Link You shouldn't get a color cast from paper behind the model unless you have huge white panels bouncing back the light. Mar 08 08 07:12 pm Link Check with your local stores and ask them for a swatch set. Most places have them for free. Some others may charge you $5-$10 for them. You can also get a swatch set for gels. Mar 08 08 07:13 pm Link I use and recommend Super White, Thunder Gray and Black. Instead of buying different colors of seamless, why not buy gels and use them on the seamless mentioned to get the color you want? Here's a pick showing how gels affects the color on the seamless. These are the 20 pack from Alien Bees. The seamless used on the pics are: White and Black, the top roll of paper is light gray.  That's what I do  --William Mar 08 08 07:16 pm Link Superior and Savage are the common supplier. I am sure a quick web search should turn up some color sample. I currently have around 10 colors, black, white and 2 grays in the studio, just a matter of what look I am going for. Mar 08 08 07:17 pm Link Super White, Thunder Grey, and Black are the 3 I always keep in stock. After that, it all kind of depends what colors you like to shoot. Mar 08 08 07:20 pm Link William Velasquez wrote: 2x Mar 08 08 07:21 pm Link Thanks everyone for your answers. PS. I'm getting gels also. I knew they could have an effect on the background, but the pictures in William's post are quite dramatic. One other question. If I am doing a full body shot, I would have to use colored paper for the area around the models feet to be the same color as the background. Correct? Mar 08 08 07:35 pm Link Connor Photography wrote: For the record, that pic I posted is not mine. Mar 08 08 07:44 pm Link Quasi Immersion Studios wrote: I would not recommend trying to match a paper to a gel. Mar 08 08 07:45 pm Link Quasi Immersion Studios wrote: That is correct. Mar 08 08 07:46 pm Link The three most useful paper colors I believe to be white, thunder grey, and black.... just all around useful for lots of different types of shoots. Mar 08 08 07:57 pm Link Quasi Immersion Studios wrote: For the last 20 years I have only used super white or jet black. If you want fun colors put a gel on one of the lights and point it at the black paper. If you want the color darker put a netural density on the lights on the model. You can create so many different effects using a gel on the black background that it would take you years to try them all. All the pictures in my port and on my website that were done in the studio were with black or white background. Mar 08 08 08:53 pm Link I did some testing on this over the weekend and this is what I came up with. This is the 15 peice Rosco Color Effects kit. The follow are the shot specifications unless noted. 2 - Vivitar 285HV strobes on 1/2 power bounced off silver lined umbrellas onto Storm Gray Seamless Paper Camera used was Canon S5IS Shot 1 - 1/200 sec, F/3.5, ISO 100 Shot 2 - 1/200 sec, F/5.0, ISO 100 Shot 3 - 1/200 sec, F/8.0, ISO 100 See next post. Mar 16 08 09:48 pm Link Rosco #02 Bastard Amber  Rosco #12 Straw  Rosco #16 Light Amber  Rosco #17 Light Flame  Rosco #21 Golden Amber  Rosco #26 Light Red  Rosco #33 No Color Pink  Rosco #44 Musical Pink  Rosco #47 Light Rose Purple (shot at ISO 200)  Rosco #51 Surprise Pink  Rosco #60 No Color Blue  Rosco #65 Daylight Blue  Rosco #80 Primary Blue  Rosco #89 Moss Green  Rosco #93 Blue Green  Mar 16 08 10:02 pm Link ok, I need to bring this back to the top and ask how this is done. My gels never give me this look, especially on black, how are you setting the lights/gels/models to get this look. What am I doing wrong? PLease help  Dec 22 08 07:21 am Link I use a white seamless and can get black or gray by adjusting the lights ( exposure) on my seamless -- rather than buying a gray, black and a white seamless. Then as someone had already demonstrated you can use colored gels on your background light to change the background color whatever color you like. Dec 22 08 07:27 am Link I'm in the studio now and have up a black BG. I put on a blue gel on my 800w continuous BG light with barn doors open for full light....and took a sample pic.. still black..what am I missing? Edit **maybe what I'm missing is I have muslin up right now? do I need to be using paper? Dec 22 08 07:33 am Link 
Photographer Posts: 468 Dumont d'Urville - permanent station of France, Sector claimed by France, Antarctica StreamlinePhotography wrote: What you're missing is the correct exposure. If it's all black you are underexposed. It matters not what the background is made of, I use paper, muslin and my grey concrete wall. Dec 22 08 11:50 am Link I know it tends to be relative, but what general aperture are you guys shooting at? A range perhaps for the gels to work on a gray background. I usually shoot at 13 and was wondering if that was a little high for the gels to color the paper. Apr 03 09 02:48 pm Link I use: Arctic White Studio Grey Thunder Grey Black Apr 03 09 02:52 pm Link I Am Photog wrote: Hopefully, without starting a new thread or a war, I'll just say you are likely to be getting into diffraction loss at f13.. Stay in the f5.6 to f11 range. Takes less power on from your lights too, so quicker recycle. Apr 03 09 07:51 pm Link I only have white but I have a set of color gells that I use when I want color. Check out this link for using seamless paper: http://www.zarias.com/?p=71 Coloring white seamless: http://www.zarias.com/?p=101 Apr 03 09 09:19 pm Link One word of advice on seamless. If you plan on using seamless, use a hard surface underneath. If you have a carpeted floor and use seamless with a model in spike heels... Then you will end up with swiss cheese after the shoot. Get a sheet of cheap hardboard or plywood to lay between the carpet and the seamless so the heels don't make swiss cheese out of your seamless. Apr 03 09 10:23 pm Link ward wrote: Same Here Apr 03 09 11:23 pm Link ward wrote: Best best ditto as handy general rolls Apr 03 09 11:56 pm Link Immersion Studios wrote: Get Pure white, I have heard Storm gray is good also Apr 04 09 12:02 am Link The only time to you really should have to move towards colored seamless instead of the basic three (black, gray, white) and gels is if you are trying to shoot something that is more than 3/4 length and want color all around. The problem with full length is that you can not gel the background, the floor, get a good uniform color and not cast some of the color onto your subject....usually. I have seen it done, but it took alot of lights and some really expert understanding. Apr 04 09 04:55 am Link I use white. that's it. Lights do the rest.    Apr 04 09 10:08 am Link Back from the dead,,, Just for the record I did get Super White, Thunder Gray and Black. Apr 04 09 10:12 am Link Immersion Studios wrote: Same here, plus gels. Bastard Amber is a fav. scroll up and you can see a GREAT example done by another poster. Done by varing the intensity of the light. Apr 04 09 10:42 am Link |
