When setting up a studio, one of the more difficult decisions that a newer studio shooter must make is which backdrop to get. More often than not, it’s which backdrops (plural) should they get? Photographer Joe Edelman is going to make it a real easy decision for you with this very informative video. You don’t need to get a whole bunch of backdrops, especially when you’re just starting out with studio work. All you need is grey.
A grey backdrop can be made completely black by not putting any light on it at all, or it can be made pure white by overexposing it relative to your subject. A grey background can also become any other colour you want it to be by using gels on your background lights.
You could also go with a white backdrop, which is what I personally prefer, as it can also be black, white, any shade of grey in between, or any colour you want with the use of gels. As mentioned in the video, however, getting very rich saturated colours with very light grey or white backgrounds can sometimes take a little more effort to get perfect than when using something closer to middle grey, but it’s still possible. Your only choice now is whether to go with paper, vinyl or fabric. What’s your favourite backdrop? Do you only have grey & white, too? Or do you have a whole bunch of different colours? Let us know in the comments.
