Recently I’ve been working on studio shooting. Although I don’t have a studio I make do with what I have. Curtains and sheets work great for simple backgrounds, but recently I decided to be a little more creative. While at an art store I saw a huge bin filled with assorted papers and decided to buy some. At the time I wasn’t sure what I would use them for, but now I have a great idea. One of the papers is very simple, almost like a lace print, and the second has a little more color and design in it. Instead of cutting up the paper to make invitations or any other conventional use I decided to use the papers as backdrops for shooting pictures. Both the prints are simple enough where they don’t take away from the subject, but they’re more exciting than just a plain background. These were just two prints that I’ve found, but any kind of print and size would do. Things like these are what will make subtle differences in studio shot pictures. Below I’ve attached two pictures to show how the backgrounds change the images.
After working with the paper I wanted to do more with patterned backdrops. Lately I’ve been really interested in mixing patterns that don’t seem like they should go together. It’s a hard thing to do because it’s very easy to get out of control and make the picture appear too busy. I have a huge role of paper that’s about 4 feet in width. Whenever I’m making posters or sketching I just cut off a piece, but the backdrops gave me a whole new idea. I cut a piece of paper that was a little longer than my height and painted a simple pattern on it. I avoided color and stuck to black and white so that it would be easier to bring in another print while shooting. I will admit painting got tedious but I was really pleased with the end result. Rolls of paper like the one I have can be bought at craft stores, or ordered online. To hang up the paper I just clipped it to a curtain rod that was hanging in my room. From there I was able to set up a tripod and transform my room into a mini studio. Shooting with the backdrop was fun and allowed me to do a lot of experimenting. It’s never too late to start experimenting with patterns, so have fun!
Challenge of the Week: Get creative with backdrops and post the pictures in the comment section.
Happy Photographing!
Cate
I like photographing! Sadly though i lost my camera
Cheers!
xxoxo
I made with photoshop anime myspace pictures.
take a look at them:
http://tinyurl.com/5bxl7f
Thank you for your website
I thibk that picture look tons better with the background….not that they didnt look good before…But keep being creative you have some great pictures Cate!