Background colour choice

photon

photon

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I'm considering ordering some fleece fabric from here.

It'll be more bulky and a bit more expensive than muslin, but easy to wash (if I keep it sectional) with no risk of the colour running or fading, creases shouldn't show, and I can use it to keep me or the dog warm!

Now as to colour . . . initially I was going for black (in the thinner, more expensive version) but grey would be more versatile and I suppose the Dove Grey would be a better choice than the Smoke?

Or maybe I should go for the Turquoise for the chromakey possibilities?

I've got to do a charity nudey calendar (all male :bang:) and a couple of the guys want to be superimposed. I'd been trying to keep it all "environmental", but a mix of styles would be more fun. As there is grey hair involved, the lighter grey background would cause more PP hassle, but the turquoise could be used a-la chromakey or grayscaled/duotoned into something more neutral.

The turquoise might put some subjects off, but when its purpose is explained it could add to the air that I know what I'm doing . . .
 
I haven't come across fleece as a background material before and I have my doubts...

I agree that creases shouldn't show but I can't think of any other advantages. The obvious disadvantage is that it has a rough texture, which will rule out any directional lighting. Vinyl doesn't crease either, and is pretty well everlasting.

As for colour, there's an argument that mid grey is the only colour you actually need, because (given lighting equipment and space) grey can become white, black or literally any colour, and all without any PP work.
 
I've seen fleece discussed on US sites, or perhaps the smoother microfleece, along with Vellux (US brand of blanket), velvet, velveteen etc.

Re: directional lighting, thanks for the warning. You mean the shadows from the fabric surface, which would become prominent with a closely positioned light source at a shallow angle?
 
photon said:
Re: directional lighting, thanks for the warning. You mean the shadows from the fabric surface, which would become prominent with a closely positioned light source at a shallow angle?
Click to expand...
Pretty much, yes - at any distance, I would expect the peaks and craters of the material surface to be exaggerated by lights at an acute angle (or at any angle other than square on) but this would get far worse with distant lights, as the shadow transfer edges would become much more clearly defined.
 
Yup, the light becomes more of a point source ( = harsh shadows) the further the distance.

Here's what velveteen from a US eBayer looks like:
Picture013.jpg


The muslin from Stable Imaging's eBay shop looks to be the best value, if I abandon the possibility of a dual-purpose insulation fabric.
 
Yes, Velveteen is a complete non starter - a total waste of money. it's shiny, which is the exact opposite of what you need.
 
Well the stuff pictured above isn't too shiny is it? There are velvets and velours which certainly are. The Americans talk about Vellux blankets, which are expensive over here (hypoallergenic). The same kind of material has made its way into a background product: http://photo.net/photography-lighting-equipment-techniques-forum/00Q9Eh
The last comment in the link is along the dual-use lines I was thinking of.
 
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