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chappers193

chappers193

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Looking at setting up a small home studio in the spare bedroom, I have been looking at backdrop systems but dislike paper rolls and cannot afford vinyl so I am thinking of using boards with backdrops stuck to them so I can swap them around as I need them, does anyone use a similar set up or am I barking up the wrong tree ? Any advice or ideas will be appreciated.
 
You could, but they’re more difficult to store. But the key question is exactly what are you trying to achieve.

If the studio is fairly permanent you could have 2 different backgrounds simply by painting the walls, keep one of them neutral enough and you can light it whatever colour you want (or don’t light it and leave it to black).

What's the objection to paper? When it gets mucky, you tear it off and throw it away.
 
You can use anything you want really - different coloured bed sheets for example. The problem with them is creases - you either have to iron them regularly or PP them out. If you use them on a frame so you can tension them with clips, this is useable, but a PITA. A backdrop system using stands takes up lots of room, so I doubt you'd want to use one of those.

Paper is cheap and easy, but you need to store it well; upright and dry. If you keep it on a 'roller system' without a metal insert, it will droop.

I see no reason why your idea wouldn't work, but it depends how you mount the paper on the boards.

Have you considered just painting your boards? Acrylic paint seems to be a favourite, but I've never done it myself.

Lastly, think about using just a grey background - you can make this black or white depending how you light it and set your lights. You can also colour it by using gels.
 
Peter Drought said:
How large is the room? Depending on what you want to use it for, there may not be enough space to position lights and to gain sufficient distance between your camera and subject.
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I’d assumed the room was big enough, but I like my lights close.

In my experience the distances I can fail to get comfortably are camera - subject and subject - background.
 
The room is 12ft x 8ft and will mainly be for portrait work with the occasional full body shot. Shooting from one end with permanent ceiling mounted lights on pull downs with low level fill lights, I have just read about green screen, maybe that would be a possibility ?
 
chappers193 said:
The room is 12ft x 8ft and will mainly be for portrait work with the occasional full body shot. Shooting from one end with permanent ceiling mounted lights on pull downs with low level fill lights, I have just read about green screen, maybe that would be a possibility ?
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to get a decent perspective you will struggle for full body in a 12 foot room

Mike
 
chappers193 said:
Maybe, mostly portrait though, wondering if a 10-20 lens would help ?
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Not maybe but absolutely, if you need background/hair lights you probably need 3 feet behind subject, you take up a foot at the other end and subjects take up space, so maybe that leaves you with just over 7 feet between front of lens and subject - ideal for a full body shot of a toddler

Mike
 
chappers193 said:
hmmm.......think I'll forget about this idea then, thanks for replies though
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I used a similar sized room in my old house for portraits, but if required I could open the door and stand in the hall if I needed to be further back.
Is that an option for you?
 
LOL! That's what I did Bob - except mine was into the kitchen. I only had 6'6" ceilings too, so I sat people on a stool. :)

Thankfully, I've moved house now.
 
chappers193 said:
The room is 12ft x 8ft and will mainly be for portrait work with the occasional full body shot. Shooting from one end with permanent ceiling mounted lights on pull downs with low level fill lights, I have just read about green screen, maybe that would be a possibility ?
Click to expand...
That's a recipe for disaster, or at least for mediocracy.
Ceiling-mounted lights, with or without pantographs, have nowhere near enough adjustment, and studio photography is all about getting the lighting where it needs to be, not about getting it where it's convenient. Please see https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/tutorials/which-lighting-stand.155/
 
The room is too small. Shooting people with a wide angle lens distorts too much. 50 or 85mm is generally better for something like that, give or take. You also need more space to be able to move the lights around and achieve the necessary degree of separation (camera to subject, subject to background, lights to subject and so on). A suggestion would be, before trying to set up anything, see if you can find a fully equipped hire studio that is local to you and hire it for a couple of hours. Even better, try and find a portrait tuition course somewhere once the lockdowns have been lifted. Something like that will give you a better idea of how the equipment is used and the sort of space that is needed.
 
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Thank you all for your input, I want to do this because I am sick of the studio environment and wish to create a different style of image, for me ! I know it won't be "proper" but I am not seeking perfection and I have very few problems with distortion at wide angles (full frame) The lighting is not definite yet, I may even use flashguns not full lights, anyway, as I said thank you all, I now have decisions to make (y)
 
chappers193 said:
Thank you all for your input, I want to do this because I am sick of the studio environment and wish to create a different style of image, for me ! I know it won't be "proper" but I am not seeking perfection and I have very few problems with distortion at wide angles (full frame) The lighting is not definite yet, I may even use flashguns not full lights, anyway, as I said thank you all, I now have decisions to make (y)
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You could do a lot with that space if you are prepared to set it up for baby/toddler stuff and seated adult portraits/half body portraits.
I'd be tempted to do that, then see how you get on....
Also, I've used paper backgrounds for years without issue.
As Phil said, when it starts to look tatty, cut it and use a fresh bit....
 
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chappers193 said:
I have just read about green screen, maybe that would be a possibility ?
Click to expand...

Green screen needs to be lit separately from the subject and needs space between the subject and screen to avoid spill. In a room that size it might possibly work for a headshot. Personally I would look for a larger space.
 
I think your 8 X 12' room is going to be very tight for doing any kind of portrait photography, except for head shots of seated models/subjects, and maybe some small product type photography. It can be done in a space this size, but it isn't going to be easy. My studio is about 2X of this size, and I sometimes wish it was larger.

For my mobile studio I use a backdrop stand which can hold backdrops up to 10' wide, but I usually just use 5 X 7' backdrops with it. I like the backdrops by Kate in 5' X 7' size that cost me $17 - 33 each US. They are made from a polyester and they don't wrinkle badly when folded for transport, but I still take a hand held steamer and distilled water with me when using them. A portable backdrop system like this with one of these backdrops would cost you significantly less than $100 US from Amazon.

If you won't be taking it anywhere else, just a 6' long curtain rod type bar could be attached to your wall or ceiling to support a 5 X 7' backdrop, (consider a length of electrical conduit for about $3 US), or you could just paint your wall and use it as your backdrop. A medium gray wall or backdrop can be changed to any color, even white or black is possible by using lights and gels to light it, if you can allot enough space behind your model/subject to light the backdrop separately from them. To me, this space will need to be 3' minimum. If less, you will not be able to light it separately from your model/subject.

My studio shooting room is 18 X 26' with a 7' 11" ceiling height. I shoot in the 26' direction and have 10' wide roll down fabric backdrops. I consider it barely adequate for full standing portrait shoots with 5' space behind them to allow for lighting the backdrops separately.
I'm using the space on both sides of my shooting area for equipment, GOBO, and prop storage. You will likely need to find space for most of these items somewhere outside your 8 X 12' studio.

Charley
 
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Why even have a studio, if it has to be that small?

I have a Village Park that I frequently shoot in that's only 3 miles from my studio. Because of Weather problems and sometimes big events being held, I can't always use it, but I have picked out 12 locations within easy walking distance within the park that make great backgrounds for shoots. No cloth background or stand is needed, so light winds are not a problem, and sometimes are a benefit. I'm a bit limited in what I can do with props and lighting there, but I can use reflectors and scrims to control that big light source in the sky. I have a folding wagon to haul my gear in and there are many shaded areas within the park, so if one location is too bright, or too populated, another is easy to switch to. There is a tunnel under a highway to a more remote parking area. Both ends of this tunnel have big metal gates that are great for backgrounds and the area around the tunnel openings are all brick and these too make great portrait backgrounds. This park has a theme park sized train ride and a 2 level carousel that's in an octagon building, so there are great backgrounds for photo shoots there too. The park management has given me permission to do shoots any time, so long as I don't block other's free use of the area while doing my shoots. If doing them on the weekends, I sometimes need to change locations if a crowd forms, but it isn't often. A "location" for doing a shoot just has to be interesting and large enough to fill your frame. It can be next to a pile of trash cans, if you can keep them out of the photos. It can be a wall of a factory or department store, if it has a nice or interesting pattern to it. A bush on the side of a street in the right light can make a good background too.

Look around where you are for interesting backgrounds in areas where what you are planning to do will not interfere with public use or not be on private property, unless you get permission first and then each time afterwards. When you find interesting spots, take a few photos to help you choose the needed one or two locations later when you want to do a photo shoot. Try to keep track of the best times, when the natural lighting is best for each location. Then meet your subject/model there and have a great shoot. Speedlites with small soft boxes and stands or folding reflectors will be best for arranging the needed lighting requirements, because that big light in the sky doesn't always cooperate. I consider this park that I noted above to be one of my "outdoor studios", but I live on a lake and have 1,600' of shoreline in front of my house to use for my other "outdoor studio".

Now, go find those outdoor studio locations near you. Take photos of the locations with or without a model so you can remember them, and have fun making great pictures. My portrait photography was done this way for almost 60 years before I was able to finally build my own studio.

Charley
 
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