How to Make a Background for Studio Photography

Why pay $400, $700 or more for a studio backdrop when you can make your own cool backdrop for a fraction of the price?

I'll show you how to make your own professional looking hand painted studio backdrops for use behind the models in your photography studio for under $30 bucks!

Make several for a great selection of backdrops to cover a variety of different situations.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sample scenes to choose from, like post cards, pictures etc...
• Camera loaded with slide film
• Slide Projector
• King Size Sheet
• Tape
• 1 Gallon of White Matte Finish Paint
• Tubes of Desired Paint Color
• 1 Plastic Bowl for each color your using
• 2" Paintbrush

1. Decide what kind of background you want for your studio. Go through your old slides and find one that's ideal to use for a studio backdrop. Don't have any old slides? Collect some pictures and postcards for inspiration. Always keep your eyes peeled for images you'd like to use for a backdrop in your studio. They can be landscapes or get creative and use something unique!

2. Select the best scenes from your collection of pictures and postcards and take a slide image of each one. You know a transparency, the old fashioned thing you put in a projector? Then send it off for developing.

3. Tape your king size sheet on a wall that's protected from any paint that might leak through your sheet. Make sure it's stretched out securely up on the wall so that it doesn't move around while your painting.

4. Project one of your slides squarely onto the king size sheet you secured on the wall.

5. Mix up your paint to use for the backdrop. Take a gallon of white matte finish paint, the paint color tubes and your bowls and mix up your colors for your studio backdrop.

6. Using a 2" paint brush or what ever works best for you, paint the projected image onto your king size sheet.

7. Let it dry. Once your backdrop dries, it's ready to use anytime you need it!

Tips & Warnings

• Take extra steps to ensure the projector does not move a single millimeter, by taping it securely to the projector table, and then taping the projector table securely to the floor!
• Make sure the projector image is level
• Use matte finish paint to reduce or eliminate flash bounce back spots.
• Keep your studio backdrop vague looking, it should have a kind of dreamy, watercolor look to it, think thin and pastel.
• For a permanent full wall size portrait backdrop paint right on the wall, instead of a sheet!

Resources

• Digital Photography Website

[lilvani]

on 11/17/2008 wow what a creative idea!

[ACGaughen]

on 7/26/2008 Wicked creative!

[vikki9]

on 7/2/2008 What a clever idea! 5*

[Yumi]

on 6/10/2008 Yeah, well explained article.I do use several types of backdrps for my Studio and Photographic needs & now I found another cheapest way to get cool backdrops. At present I buy backdrops from www.auraBackdrops.com

Thanks,

[imagery]

on 6/4/2008 Good article. What an inexpensive and creative way to do this.