Which Starter Backdrop?

[Mojorisen]

For Portraits what is a good color backdrop to start with and what size is good to start with for family (average size family 3 -5) and individual portrait photos?

I know it's all subjective but what did you start with and what worked best for you? What would you have done different?

Thanks for answering this wide ranging question...

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by Mojorisen

For Portraits what is a good color backdrop to start with and what size is good to start with for family (average size family 3 -5) and individual portrait photos?

I know it's all subjective but what did you start with and what worked best for you? What would you have done different?

Thanks for answering this wide ranging question...

As you guessed lots of options... for 3 to 5 people full length you'll probably want a 9' wide (108") backdrop. You can color the backdrop by shooting it with a gelled flash. White seamless paper might be a good choice. Black or Gray would also be good choices. Of course moving a 9' roll of paper around is not too easy. You can get (or make) a muslin cotton backdrops. A good thick one will run you a few dollars but should last if you take care of it. With either a muslin or paper you will need a background stand system. Another option is a collapsible background. You can get them in 5foot by 7 foot ovals and some a bit bigger. Great thing about them is they are so easy to move around. Don't even need any stands really as you can lean them up against a wall. Downside of course is you can't get 5 full length adults in the shot. I think a big part of what you choose will depend on your dedicated space and how much location work you plan on doing. I don't have dedicated space so my background system only goes up for a planned event. I started with a 108" muslin then added seamless and now have a collapsible BG. I am really digging how quickly and easily I can whip that BG up and shoot...
Good luck.

[delmiaco]

Depending on how good you are on the finishing/editing end.... a green screen backdrop allows for a lot of options for using digital backdrops. The possibilities are virtually unlimited in the digital arena. (no pun intended) But you do need to be able to use an editing software such as Photoshop to remove the green screen background and replace it with a digital one.
I hope this was helpful!

[spencer28n]

Get a white and then used gelled strobes to change the colors of the background.

I like black cloth...looks nice and is easy to use, as it's not hard to get it "black". Also, no shadows to worry about

White paper works well too, but harder to get it "white" than black is to be "black". Also harder to move around, as someone else mentioned.

Might look into collapsable portable backdrop. A neutral grey (18% grey) works great with colored gels, but that means you need a minimum of 2 lights.

[starsmending]

I have no experience in using these, so I may not be of help. I just wanted to say that Zona's response was really helpful! I've been thinking of purchasing a backdrop once I get all my starter gear (speedlite+shoot through umbrella), so thank you.

Very fond of black backgrounds - as the person above me noted. White, and black, I think would be good starters. I think that the black background brings out shadows more on your subject and looks excellent in black and white portraiture.

[Jim Poor]

White and black backgrounds are tough for someone who doesn't have a good grasp of lighting and how to control it.

Trying to use colored gels to change the color of a white background just throws in another layer of complication that the novice doesn't need.

The trouble with white or black is that if the light isn't controlled well, it ends up looking like crap. A nice gry or medium blue, on the other hand is more forgiving and will just be a littel lighter or darker if the light isn't perfect. With white or black, you get murky, yucko gray if you don't know what you are doing.

if you plan on doing full length portraits, then your background will need to be long as well as wide. How long? I use 30 feet so I can get the subjects away from the vertical background while still having their feet on it on the floor. I end up with roughly 10 feet up and 20 feet out.

That's probably a good point...black and white are more challenging than a normal backdrop, but I tend to like the results better. I guess I'm speaking from personal preference, because I tend to shoot with either white paper of black cloth (actually a shower curtain from Walmart ).

I guess it comes down to what kind of lights you have an how good you are at using them. If you don't have any lights, get a colored backdrop. If you have one, black will work well too. If you have 2, you can probably use white paper.

If you don't have any lights/flashes, I'd recommend getting those first.