How to Make Studio Photo Backdrops
Any professional or serious amateur photographer will need a backdrop sooner or later. Photo backdrops come in handy for any number of projects, including portraiture and product photography. With the expense of cameras, lenses, lighting, tripods, reflectors and other accessories, many photographers look for ways to save a few bucks. Making your own studio backdrops is one of the easiest ways to stretch your photography budget.
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Muslin
- Scissors
- Pencil
- No-sew fusible tape
- Ironing board
- Iron
- Backdrop pole
Instructions
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1
Use the measuring tape to find the amount of fabric you will need to make your back drop. Measure the height from the ceiling or backdrop pole to the floor. Then measure the floor from front to back of your shooting area. Add these two numbers together to find the length of muslin you need. You may also want to measure the width of your shooting area to find the width of muslin you'll need.
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2
Purchase the muslin you need from a fabric store. You may want to purchase a little more than you need to allow for mistakes in cutting. Wash and dry the muslin.
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3
Spread the muslin out on the floor and use the scissors to trim the edges as straight as possible.
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4
Use the measuring tape to measure the muslin. Use a pencil to mark your measurements.
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5
Cut off excess muslin using your scissors.
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6
Run the no-sew fusible tape along the entire length of one of the long edges.
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7
Fold the muslin over the tape to create a sharp edge.
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8
Iron the fold to fuse the tape to the fabric.
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9
Run the fusible tape, fold and iron the other edge.
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10
Fold five inches of the top edge backward to create the pole pocket for your backdrop pole.
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11
Run the fusible tape along the front edge and iron.
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12
Hang your new photo backdrop from the backdrop pole. A backdrop pole is simply a pole from which to hang your studio backdrops. They often come with stands to support the pole and allow you to set them up anywhere. They are available at most photo supply shops and from many Internet stores.
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13
Pull the muslin at the front of your shooting area forward until the backdrop creates a slight curve to hide the corner where the wall and floor meet.
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Tips & Warnings
Muslin typically comes in white or off-white. If you need a different color, you can dye the material before constructing your backdrop.
References
- Photo Credit Studio image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
