How to Build a Studio Backdrop Stand
Backdrops can give your studio photography a professional edge that can't be obtained in any other way. However, purchasing a photography stand can be very expensive for an amateur photographer. Making your own backdrop stand can save a lot of money while still providing professional-grade results. As an added bonus, your homemade photography stand will be easily portable and can be brought to any photo shoot outside your studio.
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Things You'll Need
- 40 feet of 1/2 inch PVC pipe
- 2 1/2 inch PVC cross joints
- 2 1/2 inch PVC L-joints
- 8 1/2 inch PVC caps
- 5 feet of 1 inch PVC pipe
- Backdrop fabric
- Duct tape
- Rubber bands
Instructions
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1
Cut your 1/2 inch PVC pipe into eight 1.5-foot segments, two 8-foot segments and one 6-foot segment.
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2
Push each of your eight 1/2 inch PVC caps onto a single end of each of the eight 1.5-foot segments of pipe.
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3
Join the un-capped ends of the eight 1.5-foot PVC segments in the four flat sides of the two PVC cross joints. You should have two crosses with a remaining joint perpendicular to each cross.
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4
Insert your two 8-foot PVC segments into the remaining joint in your PVC cross joints. Your cross of PVC should remain flat on the floor with the 8-foot segment rising vertically from the ground.
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5
Attach each of the two PVC L-joints to the top of the 8-foot PVC segments.
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6
Insert each end of the 6-foot PVC segment into the L-joints, letting the 6-foot segment run parallel to the ground.
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7
Attach one end of your backdrop fabric to the 1 inch PVC pipe with duct tape.
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8
Roll the fabric around the 1 inch PVC pipe and secure the fabric with rubber bands.
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9
Slide the 1 inch PVC pipe over the top 6-foot segment to mount your backdrop. Remove the rubber bands and unroll the fabric to lower your backdrop. When you're done, roll the fabric back over the PVC pipe and re-secure it with rubber bands.
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Tips & Warnings
Each of the measurements can be modified to construct a backdrop stand of a different size. If you plan to photograph larger groups, widen your backdrop stand. Similarly, if you want more height from your stand, increase the lengths of the two vertical segments.
Purchase as many 1-inch PVC pipes as backdrops you wish to have. Each backdrop can be wrapped around a different PVC pipe so that you can slide whichever pipe into place depending on the backdrop you want.
A bright green or blue backdrop can be used as a chroma-key
While the backdrop stand will be sturdy enough to support your fabric, it will not be sturdy enough to support a person's weight and may fall if someone leans on it. If you don't need your backdrop to be portable, you may duct tape the supporting beams to the ground for additional stability.
