| Author | Thread |
|
|
02/22/2008 01:05:57 AM · #1 |
What do you use?
and
Why do you choose to use that one and not the other????
Peta |
|
|
|
02/22/2008 02:13:04 AM · #2 |
- Paper is cheap.
- Paper can be used until it's too dirty, then cut off and thrown away.
- Paper is difficult to transport from one location to another (107" long paper is hard to fit inside a car, for example).
- For all white or all black backgrounds, paper is the best
- Muslin can look nicer (especially painted muslins)
- Muslins are EXPENSIVE
- Muslin doesn't weigh very much and can easily be transported
- Muslin can probably be washed (never tried it), but I prefer not to get my muslins dirty
Another member here asked me about paper yesterday, specifically about getting a White Background. I thought I'd copy the answer I gave to him into this message as it may prove useful here as well:
---------------------------
You can buy rolls of paper fairly inexpensively. I buy the 107" x 12 yard rolls. Put it on the backdrop stand, unroll a bunch of it (down onto the floor with a nice smooth curve where it transitions from wall to floor). If I don't get it too dirty, I roll it up and use it again. If it gets dirty ... cut it off. It's only about $40 for the entire roll, so you can do this quite a few times. The rolls I have, I've had for years and I still have a lot left.
Anyway, you can probably find them at a store near you. But if not, here's where I buy them:
//www.pictureline.com/cat/136/107%22_Background_Paper/?go=1
To get the background white ... you absolutely MUST throw an extra strobe on the background.
Think about it. Light falls off with the square of the distance. So if your light is two feet away from your subject, and your subject is two feet away from your background, then the background is twice as far from the light as the subject. Therefore the background receives 1/4th as much light! That means your white background will come out gray unless you totally over expose your subject ... or put your subject way back against the background.
But if, instead, you put one strobe on your subject, and another strobe, behind your subject, close to the background, then you can fire the background strobe as bright as you want it. You can easily set it to be much brighter than the light you put on your subject, and that is what lets you turn the background white.
---------------------------
Anyway, there are some thoughts on paper vs muslin. Hope it helps. :-)
Message edited by author 2008-02-22 07:32:18.
|
|
|
|
02/22/2008 02:30:01 AM · #3 |
Hey Dave,
Thanks for the lighting tips, I found the last bit about the strobe behind the model/client to be great as I have been playing with lighting for a bit and had more of a grey than white background when using the white.
Thanks again,
Rich |
|
|
|
02/22/2008 03:10:45 AM · #4 |
I have both. While a roll of paper is cheaper, it's disposable, and if you have to have it shipped to you the cheapness isn't as cheap anymore.
"plain" muslins aren't too expensive, depending on size and source. I've spent $70 to 120 each on mine.
The scenic muslins are way expensive - $300 to 1200 for the better ones.
Each has it's uses. To be well rounded you'll want white, gray and possibly black (black can be faked in most cases - the absence of light will do it). Hard to fake a hi-key white though.
I've got a blue, brown, green, pink and a scenic. How bright/dark is controlled my the lighting.
Muslins can be wrinkly, and while a steamer may help temporarily, the wrinkles will come back. work with them.
|
|
|
|
02/22/2008 03:11:52 AM · #5 |
I will disagree with one point by dwterry.
I think black muslin is much better than black paper. The cloth absorbs light better than paper and the background looks deeper black while paper is slightly reflective because it's a hard surface. This is probably a personal preference thing but where black is concerned, I would urge you to try it before passing judgment.
Message edited by author 2008-02-22 08:14:17. |
|
|
|
02/22/2008 03:18:04 AM · #6 |
I think I'm going to agree with your disagreement. :-)
Yeah, I mistakenly mentioned "all black" in my post. And from that perspective, cloth is probably better (never used it myself). I actually tend to want some light on my black backdrops so the reflection actually plays into my style. But if I was going for all black .. cloth would definitely absorb more light.
|
|
|
|
02/22/2008 04:02:37 AM · #7 |
We use paper in our studio pretty much exclusively. We have some smaller fabric for quick 'portable' backdrops but mostly what we shoot is against paper. We have a fairly large car too so on the occasional location shoot we can take a roll or 3 with us. But, here in Australia quality muslin backdrops are very expensive.
|
|
|
|
02/22/2008 04:17:16 AM · #8 |
For my studio, I've tried everything. What works best for me is - vinyl! Its sturdier than paper, less wrinkly than muslin and washable. You can get vinyl backdrops from backdropoutlet.com.
I used to use paper, but finally decided it was too bulky and expensive over time. I was using a roll of white every two or three months so a single white vinyl was much more cost effective.
I do have several muslins that I use frequently, a couple of scenic and a couple of mottled. But when I want solid backdrops... vinyl.
As for lighting white to get a pure white background, I use 2 strobes on the backdrop, one on each side. Otherwise the light fall-off causes one side to be white & the other to be gray.
|
|
|
|
02/22/2008 05:12:13 AM · #9 |
Virtual!
We have two spectravew 300s. Since I had training on them I've become very very fond of them. You can change a scene in less than 2 seconds. Work in conjunction with your muslins, paper. Make your own backgrounds, make indoors look outdoors. Forget the rain!!! I haven't gotten pure white the way I like it yet, but black is no problem. We have 9'x8' screens one portable, one fixed with a camera stand on the fixed and a majestic tripod with the portable. We're going out on our first event in a coule weeks!
Message edited by author 2008-02-22 10:17:00. |
|
|
|
09/19/2011 11:39:00 AM · #10 |
|
