Background for still life photography.?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jack P
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Jack P

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I'm a semi-ameture at photography and I was wondering what I could use for a backround for still life photography, because i've seen many photographs with clean backrounds, and I was wondering how I can achieve the same effect.

Thanks!

I use a Nikon D40 with a 18-55 & 55-200mm VR
 
This is a lousy image, but it was a quick shot for a question here. The background is no more than a piece of white paper, curved from the flat surface of the desk top to the upright book standing behind it. The lighting is from my pop-up flash, but you can certainly do better.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/2927618774

This is sort of what the set-up looked like, but I only used an 8½x11 sheet of paper for the lens shot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/2039003177/

The results of the brown paper would look like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/2039748432/

Just get a large piece of paper in any color, but white poster board would probable work if you could curve it and secure it in place. Use colored lighting (gels) on the background as Pink-Hoff suggests if you don't want it to be white.
 
Go to any craft store and you can get colored craft paper, mylar, even using various forms of wrapping papers can present interesting backgrounds for different subjects... using material swatches too adds to the allure of jewelry (velvets are always nice).

Lighting gels can turn a white backdrop into virtually any shade you want... I've even been known to 'paint' my backgrounds with a gel over a penlight and swish the backdrop in patterns of randomness.

It's a playground that you can control.
 
your finding it difficult as its not easy.......

its all about lighting, get 2-3 flash units and your away,

if you want a white background then backlight the BG:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellas2008/2924109348/in/photostream/ - has been clear cut,

if you want black then use screens to block light hitting the BG and have a black BG: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellas2008/2920420591/in/photostream/



if you want coloured use a coloured gel on your back light: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellas2008/2898059555/

Make a light tent if you want the easy way, search "making a light tent" on google and your off - you will need lights still

Pink
 
You can buy different colored seamless backgrounds at any camera store. Or buy fabric swatches from any fabric store. Or for small table top still lifes use poster board.
 
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