It's time for me to gather a few backdrops. Although I'd prefer cool nature on-location photography, it just won't happen now that it's going to be freezing and huge gusty winds for a Colorado winter.
So.... I want to use the backdrops for my studio, but also might want portable backdrops.
Karisa Flores (TBW member) just had newborn photos done and the photographer brought a black backdrop and used mostly window light, but a diffused flash as well. I'd love to have a portable setup! I think I have enough lighting and stands for basic studio and portable on-location shoots.
Currently all I have are:
White paperGreen-screen paper (so I can swap out a background)
What I'd like is:
black backdrop (love low key photography!)2-3 muslins to coordinate with subject's skin/hair tones and/or clothing
Should I be thinking of anything else? I have to plan this super carefully and make sure everything gives a fast return on investment, as money is going to be tight.
~ Angela Nikon D700 | Nikon D30070-200mm 2.8 VR | 24-70mm 2.8 | 14-24mm 2.8 | 85mm 1.4 | 50mm 1.4 | 18-200mm VR | 105mm 2.8 VR | 10.5mm | Lensbaby 3GSB-900 | SB-800 | elinchrom strobes | reflectorsCS4/LR2
Angela McCormick Photography | Satori Smiles
I think if you have portable lights/light kits and portable backdrops and a meter, you're good to go. Do you use pocket wizards or sync cords? If you don't have wizards yet you might want to get those, just because you may not want cords when at someone's house, kwim? You might want to have some gobos, snoots and softboxes & (the long skinny ones--i forget what they're called but they work well for hair lights)...just in case, but not necessary most of the time.
~~Tammi~~
d300, MB-D10, sb800, sb400, 18-200VR, 18-50 f/2.8, 28-75 f/2.8, 90 f/2.8 macro, 50 f/1.4, Pocket wizards, sekonic L-358, and an aresnal of reflectors and other light modifiers....and maybe more. ;)
My Zenfolio Gallery
My Blog
Ooh, I was hoping for simple and inexpensive, lol! Gone are the days when I can splurge on everything, I need to start bringing in income now!
Question - I use Nikon and have 2 speedlights. If I have one on camera, I can get the other to flash as well. They call it their Creative Lighting System so it can be all wireless. Do I still need a pocket wizard? If so, what do you recommend?
I do have an sc-29 sync cord to get the flash off the camera, just enough to hold up with my other hand.
I do have a portable softbox, I'll take a photo of what I got.
if you are using speed lights and they are "visible" to the camera you should be fine. its only if they are at a strange angle to the camera and the camera can't "see" the strobe that you have an issue. OR if you use actual strobes like speedotron or photogenic etc...then you pretty much have to have a cord that goes from your main light to your camera OR some type of radio slave.
Okay, I think I'm fine then. Other than the studio, where I do have one cord going to the camera hooked to one light, the others are slaves that will trigger when the main flashes, for on location shoots, I expect them to be in just one room in the house.
Later if I do weddings and choose to have flashes situated in the corners, a pocket wizard will come in handy.
Now, to decide upon a portable backdrop system... And to decide if I should get backdrops that will fit my big studio backdrop stands as well as the portable stands? I might make some of my own backdrops too! My studio is large enough that I can totally blur it out and I just end up with splashes of color.
Angela, are you really interested in doing studio type photography? Last winter I found that newborns were easy to get inside. You just have to find a few places with natural light. For children, I would imagine it is like how it is at weddings-just bring a flash and find good backgrounds in the house. The only thing I like in the studio are pregnancy and newborns shots. Last year, I think it was rebeca that said to get a good pregnancy photo inside, she actually had the mom stand in the bathtub:)
Stacey Potter
Boulder Baby Photography (I am not so good at editing, help!)
Blog
Nikon d300
Well, I have a studio, so yep, I'm interested in studio photography! By next week I'll have more backdrops, both for the studio and on-location. I also think pregnancy and newborn shots are very cool, but I have have seem some awesome dramatic children and adult photos too. Plus, I have some commercial contracts coming up hopefully, and a white high-key background will be great for showing their clothes off.
David and I talked yesterday, and decided that we'll need two sets of backdrops - one for the studio, and one for the portable setup.
For my portable setup, I need to get a few more portable lightstands, a tube in-between them, clamps for the backdrop. I already have the clamps and so all I need are small backdrops. AND just in case the window lighting isn't good, I have two flash on stands with a softbox and flash diffusers.
I want to be able to do this type of photography:
http://www.pascalewowakphotoblog.com/2008/10/garrett.html
Karisa said she brought her own black backdrop and flash with diffuser.
For those of you ILP members, this has me quite excited about doing in-home photography sessions too:
http://ilovephotography.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=95222
Extremely simple home setup using all natural lighting and a backdrop. She shot at f/2.8, iso 400, 1/250 with her 50mm 1.8lens for some of these.
Of course I will be able to find good backgrounds in the home too (or be able to fade them to black even), but I want to do these cool backdrop shots as well!
I don't love backdrops but I do have a few in case...although on ILP I just saw storm seamless paper and it looks very cool I just may need a roll
-Stephenie
Shooting with a Nikon D300 + D50, 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4 and hopefully 70-200 2.8 on the way =)
Visit My Website
Can someone tell dopey over here how you set up a backdrop? Do they come with some kind of stand?
ChristyCanon Rebel XTiWebsite
LOLOLOL you're not dopey! LOL but that is funny...
The don't come with stands that I have seen. That doesn't mean there aren't some that do. Normally you get the backdrop and it attaches one of a few ways. Most that I have used are like the kind of blind you hang in your windows...there is a rod-type thing (not necessarily round, but long and skinny) across the top that the entire thing can be rolled up on--they do not auto roll, but they are that general shape. So up at the top, after its unrolled, in the middle of the rod-thing at the top (why can't I think of a good name/description for it???! I am the dopey one.) ..so the thingy at the top has a hole in it and you place that hole onto a stand that has a rod sticking up out of it. It sort of feels like a balancing act. LOL
OR there are two stands and you connect a rod to both ends--by placing holes on the rods on top of the posts sticking out of the stands, then you can clip the backdrop to the rod with these big clamps. I am sure that there are other ways but those are the two that I know of that aren't just makeshift...which I am sure would work as well. ;)
Now, the question is, did any of that make sense?
Yes, it made sense to me!
For my very portable setup, I'm getting two VERY lightweight stands (already have one which I love), the rod in between, a few clamps, and some small backdrops. Quick and easy setup.
I also have a portable stand it was around $100 and comes with a roll of white paper =)
Do you remember where you got the stand and a link to it or something similar? I have just soooo many things to research, any help would be cool! :)
Here is the one I have Savage Backdrop Stand