How to Set Up a Studio Background
Studio photography is very popular, allowing people to get professional pictures of themselves, their families and their pets in a style of picture that suits them. Whether it's carefully posed or more natural, observational photos, you are sure to capture memories that everyone will love. The quality of the photos does depend on the studio's choice of lighting and background, however, which need to be set up correctly for optimum results.
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Instructions
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Analyze the space the background needs to fit in. This is essential so you can purchase the correct size, and ensure there is enough room for photography. Backgrounds tend to lie just in front of a wall, so this wall needs to be completely covered. It also needs to be at least ten inches away from the camera.
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Choose a background size. This will depend on the space you chose earlier. Sizes vary from between 50 and 140 inches, depending on the wall the background needs to cover. Typically, fifty inches is too small, and will not allow a human to pose comfortably in front of it. It is a suitable size for small animals, however. Most walls are not big enough to accommodate the large 140-inch size. The typical size is 107 inches, which is large enough to completely cover a wall and allow for natural poses.
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Select a material. Most studios choose a basic background, such as professional seamless paper. This is usually supplied on a roll, so it can be used until it becomes dirty and then effortlessly changed. It comes in various colors, with black, white and gray being the most popular. There are other materials available, like sheets of crushed velvet in a variety of colors, and bright patterned papers which make striking backgrounds. Be careful that these backgrounds do not distract from the image, however.
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Purchase your chosen background. Materials like professional seamless paper cost around $40 as of October 2010 and come on a roll, with an appropriate stand. This paper is available at many photography and craft shops. Some may offer paper rolls for less, but they may not come with the stand.
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Place the stand against the chosen wall, and check that it is secured. There are many types of stand for backgrounds, but typically a roll of seamless paper will be held in place by brackets attached to the wall. Some fabrics may require separate stands, as materials such as velvet can be very heavy and easily damaged.
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Pull the roll of paper down so that it completely covers the wall and at least 60 inches of the floor. Ensure you pull the paper carefully, as it can require force to move, but it does rip easily. For large sizes, you may need someone to stand on each side and pull the background into place.
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Place your camera and flash equipment around the background. Usually, this equipment is placed so that the middle of the background is highlighted in light, and moved as necessary during a photo shoot. Your camera should be at least 10 inches away from the background; this creates more natural-looking photographs.
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Tips & Warnings
If you can't decide on which background to use, try to find some samples of different materials, and take some sample photographs. You may find that the results given from different materials are different from what you expected.
Ensure you have clean hands before pulling new paper down. Dirty hand prints will look dreadful both in the studio and on film, and causes paper wastage.
References
- Photo Credit Vicky Kasala Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images
