Advice on backgrounds and feasibility of using them in small spaces

southernjessie

southernjessie

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I was wondering if anyone who uses or has used backgrounds could give me their experiences with them please.

I would like to use a background for portraits and pet photography. It would be taken and set up at the client's home so I was thinking of a set up that doesn't take up too much space.

At first I considered a collapsible background which is very portable but at 1.5m x 2m seems a bit too small for comfort. Maybe for someone sitting on a chair / 3/4 portraits but for full length or 2-3 people or dogs, probably not?

Then we have the paper background which is suspended via two lightstands. I've used this set up in a studio recently and the set up was very large to accomodate what I was shooting at the time. I got an idea of the time and effort it took in setting it all up, but I was wondering if I could use a 6ft wide paper background so even with the lightstands, it would take up less room in someone's house?

Just how feasible is using a paper/light stand background set up in (for example) a living room? If it's too much hassle or to worry about, is it better just sticking with a pop up background and also using the decor in the room as a background?
 
I am to use my backdrop (white) suspended by my backdrop frame this evening. I have never been to the model's home and have no idea what issue's, if any, I will face. This will be your dilemma in every home you visit unless you go to the client's home in advance of the booking. This evening I will use a white cloth backdrop as opposed to a paper roll, my reasoning being that a paper roll is a fixed rigid length whereas a cloth one can at least be bunched up somewhat and any creases pinned / clamped out. There are for's and against's for either.
 
Just an update on my shoot yesterday evening. I erected my backdrop frame in a very tight spaced living room, the crossbar could not be fully extended so IF I had only taken my paper roll it would not have fitted on to the frame and thus mean no white backdrop. A modern 2 bedroom terraced house with minimum height ceiling and my client was 6 feet 2 inches!!! These are problems you will face unless you meet the client in the intended home first, I didn't but I was prepared for all eventualities except her height!!
 
If your doing full length portraits, ideally you need 5ft min from the background to the subject to be able to light both individually, I use a 6ft wide x 10ft length white cloth bg which as mentioned above can be clamped to lose folds / wrinkles etc, I also have a black one for low key, or just sometimes turn the lights off on the white set up and it goes grey.

If your working in a small room, you can always fold the cloth bg on itself to cater for the space available, something you cant do with a paper roll.
 
Just seen this and I have done many home shoots, my kit is mostly set up for this, firstly you have the Lastolite Hi-lite largest size is 8x7ft it is ok setting up, however folding back down can be a pig, I downsized to the 7x6 and the and the difference in set up is so much easier particularly folding down and not looking like a prat in front of your client, lol, the downside is your limited to white or grey if you don't light it.

Next is the backdrop frame 2x light stands and cross bar with paper or material background, overall pretty good, biggest disadvantages is the stand legs sticking out in small confined spaces, which incidentally can also be a problem with the Hi-lite with the light stands in small spaces, but if you have the right amount of space works well.

Next up and probably the most versatile is Autopoles, these are just one extendable pole with clamps that extend up to about 8.5ft tall I think (their are a couple of length versions) the biggest advantages of these is they don't have any tripod legs therefore leaving lots of space around the bottom to play with, these also have the option of holding 3/6 different colour paper roles depending on the attachment you buy with them. Advatages,reasonably easy to set up and they have the optional paper hanger with the pulley chain for quickly changing backgrounds. Disadvantages only really one is can't be used on suspended ceilings i.e. in offices for corporate photos, also you have to be careful in homes depending on ceiling i.e. artex cracking, I always use a couple of soft tiles on the ceiling underneath the top of the pole and am careful not to tighten to much, and to date I have never had a problem.

Last tip for shooting in homes is were possible always visit the client first, infact I don't think I would take the job without being able to see first. If your pricing for a one hour shoot you have to add another hour for setting up and dismantling your kit, if on top of that you find when you get there, their is a load of furniture and clutterto move around you can add another hour to that, and believe me a lot expect you to be removal man as well. The advantage of seeing them first is you can see the room set up and know well in advance what part of the room you are going to use, that way you can tell the client what you will need moving out of the room or adjusting and it's pretty much set up before you get there.

I hope this is helpful :)
 
@TG. That sounds like great sensible advice. I had never heard of the extendable product.

Gaz
 
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southernjessie said:
I was wondering if anyone who uses or has used backgrounds could give me their experiences with them please.

I would like to use a background for portraits and pet photography. It would be taken and set up at the client's home so I was thinking of a set up that doesn't take up too much space.

At first I considered a collapsible background which is very portable but at 1.5m x 2m seems a bit too small for comfort. Maybe for someone sitting on a chair / 3/4 portraits but for full length or 2-3 people or dogs, probably not?

Then we have the paper background which is suspended via two lightstands. I've used this set up in a studio recently and the set up was very large to accomodate what I was shooting at the time. I got an idea of the time and effort it took in setting it all up, but I was wondering if I could use a 6ft wide paper background so even with the lightstands, it would take up less room in someone's house?

Just how feasible is using a paper/light stand background set up in (for example) a living room? If it's too much hassle or to worry about, is it better just sticking with a pop up background and also using the decor in the room as a background?
Click to expand...

@sunnyside_up used a paper backdrop for groups and pets in her living room all the time. I don't know what width she used but it can't have been much more than 6ft.

I use 1.5m x 2m collapsible backgrounds occasionally - the patterned or plain ones, not a hilite. You can light them separately from the subject if you need to, just get your lights closer to both. Full length is awkward though - the join with the floor looks rubbish.

I sometimes use the diffuser from a large 5-in-1 reflector in front of a window or in a doorway, with or without an additional light behind.
 
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