[reivax]

Hello,

I'm in the market to buy a few backdrops. I'm looking to buy 2-3 backdrops. One that I want is a nice Christmas like backdrop, but also some that I can use for parties/gatherings/etc. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[magkelly]

I bought a green, black and white backdrop set from Amazon. I use the green screen plus digital backdrops usually to do things for the holidays. Digital backdrops can be found online fairly easily and it's been much cheaper than buying a bunch of physical holiday backdrops anyway. Plus I don't have to store them all.

[ivanvernon]

I bought a green, black and white backdrop set from Amazon. I use the green screen plus digital backdrops usually to do things for the holidays. Digital backdrops can be found online fairly easily and it's been much cheaper than buying a bunch of physical holiday backdrops anyway. Plus I don't have to store them all.

Explain digital backdrops please.

[magkelly]

Explain digital backdrops please.

Simple explanation, you use a green (or blue) screen behind your subject, like they do in the movies. Then later you take out the background in photoshop (or whatever imaging program you use) and drop in a digital backdrop, which is basically just a background page with a texture all over it that looks like a real backdrop. This is a video that basically explains it. One of many on you tube. For the record you don't need to buy digital backdrops though some of the commercial ones are nice. There are plenty of free ones out there. There are stand alone programs and plugins for photoshop that make it a bit easier. One of the best is Chroma Key, but it's a bit expensive...

You Tube

You Tube

[ivanvernon]

Simple explanation, you use a green (or blue) screen behind your subject, like they do in the movies. Then later you take out the background in photoshop (or whatever imaging program you use) and drop in a digital backdrop, which is basically just a background page with a texture all over it that looks like a real backdrop. This is a video that basically explains it. One of many on you tube. For the record you don't need to buy digital backdrops though some of the commercial ones are nice. There are plenty of free ones out there. There are stand alone programs and plugins for photoshop that make it a bit easier. One of the best is Chroma Key, but it's a bit expensive...

How to use digital photography backgrounds & backdrops & chromakey green screen techniques - YouTube

Thanks. I just have to budget some time to start learning how to use LightHouse or PhotoShop.

[atupdate]

The more even the light on the green screen, the easier it will be to capture it all with the magic wand tool. Also, if your subject is close to the screen, you may get some green reflections on the person's hair.

Tim

[Fire Angel]

The digital backgrounds idea is cool too, but if you want actual physical backgrounds I've found some good ones cheap in department stores that sell furnishing fabric; take a look at their end-of-line bins or go in when a new season starts and you can often get last season's fabrics cheaply. I guess places that sell dressmaking fabrics are another good source though they often don't come in such large widths, so you could end up needing to make joins if you buy those.

[ivanvernon]

The digital backgrounds idea is cool too, but if you want actual physical backgrounds I've found some good ones cheap in department stores that sell furnishing fabric; take a look at their end-of-line bins or go in when a new season starts and you can often get last season's fabrics cheaply. I guess places that sell dressmaking fabrics are another good source though they often don't come in such large widths, so you could end up needing to make joins if you buy those.

Yes, I have done that for a black satin backdrop to use for portraiture. You can also cruise Goodwill or similar thrift shops for bedding, drapes, and sometimes find a germ, uh, I mean a gem.