Backdrop Help

[cortez]

Hi Everyone.

I'm brand new here, and I was wondering If I could get some suggestions.
I'm planning on purchasing a studio gray background. I've never
done any posed/studio work, but I'm wanting to learn. Does anyone know, is studio gray where I should start? Or would you recommend something else?

I see them everywhere on line in paper and cloth. And some are very cheap. I just don't want to start out on the wrong foot.

Thanks very much.

[Doug Sundseth]

If you're not too worried about the image you project to your clients, you can use a cheap white sheet as a relatively durable, versatile, and inexpensive background. Add light and it's white. Move the lights closer to your subject and the background goes to gray. Very close with the subjects far from the background and it goes to black. Gel a flash for the background and the color can be whatever you need.

But when the client walks in, it will look like a sheet.

Seamless paper looks more professional in person and has the advantage that you never have to wash or iron it. But shipping can be a bit expensive, and if you're posing people on top of it, you can run through quite a bit quickly.

Gray works much like white, though gray is a bit harder to turn into white in a photo and a bit harder to color with a gelled flash. OTOH, it goes to black more easily than white. And it shows scuffs and stains a bit less, so it will last longer in many use cases.

[cortez]

Thank you so much! I'm not selling anything yet, so I appreciate the sheet idea. I think that's what I will try and experiment with before I decide to spend money on any one shade or color. If you don't mind sharing more insight, I'm feeling equally confused on what kind of lighting I should start out with. I'm wanting something that is affordable, but will do a nice job. Thanks again.

[SwissJon]

Speedlights.. You can get Yongnuo flashes for very low prices on fleabay, allowing you to have 2 or 3 flash setups for very little money. Then make your own softbox for virtually nothing, and you've got a reasonable imitation of a professional set up to get you going.

[WooD]

I went with white seamless paper. I can adjust my lights to make it several different shades of gray, snow white, or clip a gel on a Bee, and have it any color I want.

I did the 2 king size white sheets for a while, and it sucked trying to edit all the wrinkles out of it.

[Jim Poor]

Paper is a great way to go if you don't need portability.

Sheets (or a bolt of muslin from your local fabric store as a step up) are great if you need to take it places. The two in our area are often offering 50% off on item, so I'll go get a whole bolt of undied muslin and cut it (or not) and die it (or not) as needed.

For the studio, I prefer paper, but those tubes don't fold up in and sit in the back seat all that well.

For lighting, beware of "start cheap and build up" recommendations unless you are the type that may not stick with it long term. If you're in it for the long haul, get the best you can afford. Otherwise, you'll end up spending many times what the best lights would have cost if you had just bought them first.

[Doug Sundseth]

With speedlights, you pay a premium for portability. They're not very bright lights for the price you pay, but you can pack several into a backpack along with your lenses and bodies and do a location shoot pretty easily.

With monoblock lights (Elinchrome, Paul C. Buff, Profoto, Broncolor, whatever), you can get much brighter lights for the same price. (Well, maybe not Profoto or Broncolor. )

If you're not going to be doing much travelling, I'd at least take a look at AlienBees from Paul C. Buff, which are quite reasonably priced for what you get in terms of power and price of modifiers. If portability is a concern, I'd start with one camera-brand speedlight that can use TTL metering and then add one or two manual speedlights like a Yongnuo or Lumopro.