Regardless of what you want to photograph, studio photography requires a complete photo setup. Before deciding whether you mix natural light with artificial light or use only artificial light, where you place additional light sources, and what light modifiers you need, you need to decide the background of your subject. In a studio, you don’t benefit from beautiful scenery that adds context to your composition. You need to create it. And you can quickly run out of backdrop ideas and realize your photos look similar and lack creativity. That’s why it’s so important to know everything there is to know about backdrops, what material to choose, and even how to make your own backdrops.
Backdrops to Buy
The easiest way to obtain a professional-looking backdrop is to purchase one. There are a lot of products on the market that can take your photography to the next level while perfectly matching your photographic genre. They are made of various materials and come in a wide range of colors and textures. Consider your main photographic genre (e.g., portraiture, product, macro, food, etc.) and the effect you want to achieve (e.g., commercial, fine art, natural-looking, etc.). Check out the following backdrop features and the best products in each category.
Fabric
Fabric provides an opaque uninterrupted background but also texture and depth. You can find fabric backdrops made of cotton, polyester, velvet, or silk. Fabric is a versatile material often used for portraiture and still life. For example, you can create wrinkles or a curtain effect, allowing you to go from a smooth neutral background to a more dramatic one. It’s also washable and steamable, which makes it easy to maintain.
Glow Muslin Background – 20 x 10′
Glow Muslin Background is a backdrop made of 100% cotton, non-reflective, and with a sewn edge on all sides. Its size allows you to place it under and behind the subject and create a continuous surface. It’s great for still life, product, and portrait photography, providing a neutral background that lets the subject shine. You can create wrinkles and ripples, and then wash and steam the backdrop to become smooth again.
Savage Marsala Canvas Backdrop, 8×12′
Savage Marsala Canvas Backdrop is a heavy artistically hand-painted canvas background that provides texture, depth, and an artful effect. It’s designed for artistic portraiture and comes in many colors. The backdrop is made of cotton and mounted to a heavy-duty aluminum core for easy hanging. It’s non-reflective, so whatever front lights you use, they won’t bounce back into the camera.
Gravity Backdrops Hand Painted Classic Mid Texture Backdrop, 8.9×9.8′
Gravity Classic Backdrops are made of Italian cotton and hand-painted using water-based paint. They come in many colors and styles, from elegant to expressive, to give you exactly what you need for your photography. Gravity Classic Backdrops are artful, and although they complement the subject, they can’t be ignored. They match artistic compositions, such as fine art portraiture and still life.
Seamless Paper
Paper is affordable, neutral, and smooth. Like fabric, it comes in large rolls and may have any color and texture. Paper is the go-to material for business headshots and commercial product photography. It offers a smooth and seamless background without interfering with the composition. The paper’s thickness and color dictate how reflective or see-through the material is and how it behaves in strong or colored light.
Savage Widetone Seamless Background Paper 53″ wide x 36′, Baby Blue, #47
Available in a broad range of neutral and vibrant colors, Savage Widetone Seamless Background is non-reflective, smooth, and easy to handle. And if it wrinkles or deteriorates in any way, just cut the damaged portion, send it to recycle (it’s paper!), and roll out a brand new background. The roll is 36’(11m) long.
Adorama Seamless Background Paper, 53″ wide x 12 yards
Non-reflective, smooth, and compatible with a large variety of mediums, Adorama Seamless Background is perfect for any photo setup, especially for individual portraits and product photography. The broad range of colors allows you to find the best match for every composition. And the 36’ (11m) length of the roll ensures you will use one for a long time.
Vinyl
Vinyl is fake leather. It looks and feels like leather but is made of a polymer. Vinyl backdrops come in many sizes, colors, and thicknesses and can be in a solid color or a print. The main advantage is durability. Vinyl is long-lasting, waterproof, light-resistant, and almost impossible to tear or wrinkle. You wipe it with a damp cloth, and it’s as good as new. Matte vinyl backdrops are non-reflective and look flatter. Glossy vinyl backdrops reflect light and provide more depth.
Westcott X-Drop Vinyl Backdrop, 5’x7′
Westcott X-Drop Vinyl Backdrop is a thin, lightweight, and portable printed background. It’s perfect for taking your gear to a location. And it is so resistant that can be used both as a backdrop and floordrop. The background has a matte finish, meaning is non-reflective, and is available in various patterns and styles. You can try it for artistic food and still life photography or an overhead shot.
Click Props Factory Windows R Backdrop, Large
Click Props Factory Windows R Backdrop creates an inexistent window in your studio and provides the perfect scenery for fashion or fine art photography. It’s a thick printed vinyl backdrop featuring UV-resistant ink, reinforced grommets every 12″ along the top, and a clear hard plastic tube for storing. 550 other designs are available.
Chroma Key
A chroma key backdrop is a green screen on which you project whatever image you like. It’s versatile and affordable, especially when you want to recreate a certain atmosphere or location. It’s also easy to use because you don’t have to change backdrops during the photoshoot. However, technically a chroma key backdrop is more challenging. Your subject can’t have the same shade of green as the screen, and you need to learn the editing process. Also, you don’t see the final result when taking the photos.
Manfrotto 13′ Panoramic Background, Chroma Key Green
Easy to set up, portable, and with great build quality, Manfrotto 13′ Panoramic Background is perfect for shooting in location. It accommodates a few people so you can use it for group portraits and family shots. The backdrop is up to 4m wide, self-supporting, and lightweight. It also comes with a transport case.
Glow Green Screen Collapsible Chroma Key Panel
Glow Green Screen is collapsible and free from wrinkles, dust, and defects. It is also easy to install. It’s designed for indoor use and all types of photography and videography that require small backgrounds, such as YouTube videos, streaming, interviews, and product photography.
Collapsible
Collapsible backdrops are a space-saving option. They are flat panels made of fabric and can be folded up into small packs. They are also lightweight and smaller than other backdrops. You can find collapsible backdrops in solid color, printed patterns, and even green screen options.
Manfrotto 5×7′ Vintage Collapsible Reversible Background, Aubergine/Crimson
If you need a vintage background for fine art still life and artistic portraiture, Manfrotto 5×7′ Vintage is a good choice. It’s small, easy to carry around, and, of course, foldable. The high-quality polyester fabric doesn’t make wrinkles and is double-sided: one is a textured design with bold imperial color, and the other is a highly textured effect with warm tones.
Savage 5×6′ Reversible Collapsible Backdrop, Cream/White
Savage 5×6′ Reversible Collapsible Backdrop is made of cotton and weighs only 6 lbs (2.72kg). Its neutral shade makes it perfect for business portraits and product photos. The backdrop provides a smooth non-reflective background that eliminates glares and makes the subject stand out without interfering with the composition. It is very easy to install, collapses to 1/3 of its size, and can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
DIY Backdrop Ideas
For many situations, a professional backdrop is not an option. You may organize an ad-hoc photoshoot, shoot in a location where there is no space for backdrops, or you can’t bring one, or can’t afford investments in your photography. For all these and many other situations, a DIY solution is your best option. So, improvise! Here are some ideas to get you started.
Streamers and Garlands
A craft set with paper streamers and garlands is a good way to hide a busy background, add some color to your compositions, or create a festive mood. The colorful décor will boost people’s morale and make children happy. They are affordable, sustainable, and easy to replace. They also don’t take up too much space and can easily be customized: if you need a wider backdrop, add more streamers.
Holiday Lights
Good for creating a holiday mood or a romantic atmosphere, holiday lights create the perfect bokeh effect. They can beautify any wall, curtain, or window. Therefore, you can install a beautiful background in any location in minutes. You can also use them as table designs for food and product photography.
Balloons
A background made of balloons will make anyone excited for the photoshoot. They come in lots of colors and shapes and, like streamers, provide an adjustable-size background. Helium balloons will stay close to the ceiling effortlessly, offering a tall backdrop in no time. Balloons are affordable, lightweight, and take up no space at all. Choose colors that fit your artistic purpose and let your creativity do the rest.
Old Newspapers and Magazines
A stack of old newspapers or magazines is a good background for stylish ambient compositions. But you can also use them to cover an unaesthetic wall or busy background. All you need is adhesive tape and imagination. The pages may be part of the story or not. Ensure that colors and textures of the newspapers’ and magazines’ pages don’t interfere with the composition nor alter the balance.
Tin Foil
Tin foil is useful when you need reflections, glares, and an exciting game of highlights and shadows. It works very well for product and macro photography. Consider this option for photographing small objects because you can’t make a big background from tin foil. It’s also a good option for a bokeh effect or an overhead shot.
Origami
If you are a fan of origami, you can cover a panel or curtain with handmade paper figurines. It provides texture, color, and a particular style. Although it’s not easy to make, the effect is unique. You are in charge of the colors and dimensions of the design and can make it as large or small as you need. It’s also reusable because you can rearrange the items for future projects.
Flowers
Flowers are another way to create a backdrop. The smaller the backdrop, the closer it has to be to the subject to hide a busy or unaesthetic background. You can use natural flowers or artificial ones made of fabric or paper. Create colorful or monochrome bouquets that complement your subject and theme. Remember that flowers bring their own meaning to the composition and don’t fit any brief.
Nature Landscape
You can decorate the studio’s walls with wallpaper, prints, and paintings. A nature landscape provides a leisurely atmosphere and fist many briefs. However, you can’t use a single piece for all your photoshoots. So consider having more than one nature landscape décor, such as sunrise or sunset, seasonal, and moody scenes. You can also use your own prints. Use subtle frames and colors and change the design when necessary.
Conclusion
Professional studio photographers have a broad selection of backdrops. Diversity allows them to create exceptional compositions, follow the client’s requirements, and produce high-quality authentic work. As the studio doesn’t provide the diversity of the natural world, the photographer has to be creative and find affordable and efficient solutions. The search for the perfect backdrop never ends.
