How To Set Up Photography Background And Lighting

Bored of being stuck indoors still? Shooting against the same white background all the fourth dimension tin get tiresome, then why not switch it up with some creative DIY alternatives.

Early on in my photographic career, I spent literally thousands of hours photographing subjects in forepart of white walls. This was an incredibly popular wait in the 90's as we moved away from the gray and dark-brown cloudy backdrops of the 1980'south, just times are changing once more equally we tire of the stark and clinical look of a pure white backdrop.

1 manner to liven up a white wall is to add some colour via coloured gels, just if that'due south not your thing (FYI: you're on the wrong website ;) ), what else tin can we do to try and add together some variety to our uncomplicated and oftentimes tedious looking white wall?

Ane style to go is to consider coloured newspaper backdrops. You'll notice these in nearly all studios and they come up in a nearly limitless number of colours, but they all have 1 problem in common; they're expensive.

So what other properties options are bachelor to us if we want to add together a huge corporeality of variety to our white walls, but don't want to spend a huge corporeality of coin?

Window Blinds

Window blinds are a fantastic solution to this problem equally they come up in hundreds of different styles, colours and materials and what'south even amend, they're relatively cheap too. There is i key shortcoming to point out with window blinds though, and that'due south that window blinds are not great for total length body shots. But if you lot're after half-body and head-shots, then window blinds are perfect.

A couple of things to wait for when buying window blinds every bit photographic backdrops, are their thickness and size. Specifically, you'll want to wait for 'blackout' blinds. These are thicker window blinds meaning that they'll last a lot longer, roll up flat, tin even exist spot cleaned with a clammy cloth and they're less prone to creasing too.

The 2d thing to wait for is their size. Nearly of the time you'll want to go the largest window bullheaded y'all can and so as to requite the most photographic flexibility when you lot're using them. You lot'll often find many window blinds will accept at to the lowest degree a 2m driblet (meridian) and 2m width, which is perfect for most every portrait setup.

One time yous showtime looking into the multifariousness and options available to you, you lot'll wonder how you never thought of using window blinds equally photographic backdrops before.

This prototype is almost 10 years old now, merely the window bullheaded properties behind this model is withal going stiff! Window blind backdrops are inexpensive and if cared for, will outlive most other backdrops.

Why use a window bullheaded every bit a properties?

Relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to send
Rolls up – no creasing or folds
Very affordable
Literally hundreds of options
Very easy to store
Won't rip and tear like newspaper Coloramas can
Get the 'black-out' blinds and you'll have little to no glare on the backdrop meaning the model tin exist quite close to it too

Lino

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Before yous keep scrolling, hear me out. Lino can really be extremely versatile in a dwelling studio if used smartly.

This relatively inexpensive photographic background substitute has many prissy benefits. For one, it's affordable and usually around £5 per foursquare metre. It's heavy… in a good mode. Information technology hangs very flat because of its inherent weight and this goes a very long way in making the backdrop appear far more 'believable' behind the subject area. It's also portable if needed as it rolls up easily and like I mentioned, considering of its inherent density, you lot have minimal crimper.

Also, some of the more expensive ones have a detailed textured surface which again helps a lot with 'selling' the idea of a fake background behind the subject too.

Lino's key characteristic is that they have a multitude of 'real' looking options over simple cake colours. For case Lino has some very believable looking textured surfaces like stone and woods.

Personally, I remember the idea of 'simulated' backgrounds trying to appear real, looks less obvious and more environmental when it appears out of focus. Bringing the subject forrard and shooting at a shallower depth of field will help to attain this look.

Again, this image is a little sometime at present, but the same principles of what makes a 'imitation' groundwork similar this work, is to bring the subject forward and shoot at a shallow depth of field to ensure the background behind is completely out of focus.

Why use Lino as a properties?

Lots of 'organic' properties options like stone and woods
Relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to ship
Rolls up – no creasing or folds
Very affordable
Literally hundreds of options
Very piece of cake to store
Won't rip and tear like paper Coloramas

Mottled Backdrops

Mottled backgrounds have e'er been associated with cheesy and erstwhile fashioned family portraits, just they are slowly making a comeback.

In recent years, top style photographers from around the globe accept been reintroducing the mottled backdrops into their fashion editorials. In the by these backdrops had fallen out of favour due to their association with old fashioned family portraits, only now they're coming dorsum and if you're patient, at that place are some bargains to be had before they hitting the mainstream again.

1 pick to become these mottled backdrops into your shots is to option up a pre-made version. These can be a little pricey if yous don't know where to wait, especially equally many of them are handmade. If you lot do know where to look though, you tin can still pick up the old-school versions (like you see pictured behind this model here) for next to nothing.

Alternatively (and in keeping with the title of this commodity), you can simply make a mottled backdrop yourself. It's not actually too tricky and it won't cost you lot besides much either. Take a look at my previous commodity on how to make one – DIY Mottled Backdrop.

Mottled backdrops have a pretty bad rep thanks to some horrendous fourscore's family portraits. Merely they are seeing a comeback if used in the right situation.

Why utilise Mottled backdrops?

Get the cotton ones and they can literally exist stuffed in a small bag when non in use
The neutral coloured ones can fifty-fifty be gelled for different looks
It's possible to make 1 yourself
The DIY version is totally unique
The mottled backgrounds do tend to look good in slightly darker shots. If y'all're a fan of a darker background, this might be the option for you lot

Window Blind Lighting Setup

Okay, and so nosotros've discussed a few DIY backdrop options for your dwelling shoots. Now let's get a picayune practical and put one of these backdrops to utilise. In the following lighting technique, I'll exist using a elementary, silverish £40 window blind as the groundwork of my portrait.

The setup

The beauty of these window bullheaded backdrops, is that they tin be used with any lighting setup, but here's one of my favourites.

What y'all will need:

1x window bullheaded (ideally 2m wide with a drop of 2m)
2x lights (strobes or speed lights)
1x silver reflector (optional)
1x 90cm Octabox
1x open-dish reflector

Note: You lot may need some way of holding the window blind backside the model. Ideally a couple of extra light stands would exist perfect.

Pace ane – Hanging the Backdrop

You tin choose to hang your window blind however you like, merely I like to employ the two lite stands and a crossbar method. Simply setup the batten and and then drape the window bullheaded over the tiptop. The window blind will likely still be lightweight plenty if yous just have ane light stand a clamp though.

Step 2 – Keylight Placement

I volition be using a small 90cm octabox here, only a beauty dish or pocket-sized foursquare softbox will also work. Identify the keylight far enough abroad from the background and then that information technology wont low-cal the background as well. Position information technology just in a higher place the models head and angled downwardly at 45 degrees.

Step three – Background Light Placement

We will exist lighting our groundwork separately to the model, so nosotros will be using a 2nd light in this setup. Place the light behind where the model will be and at a meridian of just below the shoulders. I desire to achieve a vignette of light on the properties behind the model and then I want the light quite close to the background at near ane to 2 feet away.

Step iv – Camera Settings

The more than y'all shoot with studio lighting, the more you realise how little you actually modify your camera settings. As always shoot at the everyman ISO your camera will let, usually ISO 100, and and so select the shutter speed that syncs to your lighting. If you're unsure then ane/125th is your best bet. Lastly, select an aperture of effectually f4 to f5.half-dozen. This should allow for the background to exist out of focus whilst keeping the subject in focus.

Step 5 – Model Placement

We accept already established that we want to calorie-free our subject separately to our backdrop, so we should position our model at around 5 to 6 feet away from the groundwork. If we do this correctly we should likewise take no trouble in hiding the background low-cal behind our subject too.

Step 6 – Add a Reflector if Needed

If you have a third light to employ as a fill-light, then exercise so but if non, a simple silvery reflector will do the job. Position information technology just out of shot below the frame and you can either place it on a stand or hand hold it. This will just bounce a lilliputian light from our keylight back into the shadows on the subject.

Thanks

Thanks for checking out this article and spending a little flake of your day with me hither. I hope you plant it useful and that you go a chance to give information technology a try yourself. If yous do, I'd be very interested to run into what backdrop you found. After all, there are some fancy window blinds out in that location and then I'd love to encounter what y'all found. Every bit always, if you have any questions, then by all means fire-abroad in the comments beneath and I'll do my best to answer what I can. Thanks once again and I'll run across you lot in the next one.

About the Author

Jake Hicks is an editorial and style photographer who specializes in keeping the skill in the camera, non simply on the screen. Jake currently has a workshop available on colour and exposure. For more of his work and tutorials, check out his website. Don't forget to like his Facebook page and follow him on Instagram, too.

You can also sign up to the Jake Hicks Photography newsletter to receive Jake's costless Top Ten Studio Lighting Tips and Techniques PDF, and be sure to download his brand new, free 50 folio studio lighting book. This article was likewise published hither and shared with permission.