Photography studio backgrounds are a strange subject, because there is no correct or wrong answer to what you should use in your studio. However, many people seem to have a problem trying to decide what they should use as backgrounds. This is not a problem simply solved with a Google search, either. In fact, there is a good amount of conflicting information out there about what is the best background, when you should use a certain type of background, and other information, both relevant and irrelevant. All of this conflicting information can make choosing a background similar to choosing a light setup or camera. Here are a few facts and ideas about the main types of backgrounds to help you in deciding what to use in your studio, and make the entire process easier.
Muslin Backgrounds
It may sound biased, but of all other types of backgrounds you can choose this is main one I will not simply recommend, but instead say that you need. Muslin has pretty much replaced all other types of backgrounds in many smaller photography studios. This is because it is lightweight, durable, can be bought in several sizes, and does not allow light to pass through easily. Another good point for muslin is that compared to most other types of backgrounds, if you figure dependability and cost, it is one of the cheapest types of backgrounds.
Image by spacepleb
Paper Backgrounds
This is the cheapest and most variable background mad for photography studios, for a good reason. Paper backgrounds come either in rolls of single sheets, at an almost universal width, and can be purchased in an almost endless variety of colors and color variants. The cheap cost of paper backgrounds is offset in there dependability, however. A paper background is only going to be good for one to two shoots, before it gets torn, wrinkled, or abused in some way to make it unusable.
Image by Dave Dugdale
Canvas Backgrounds
Canvas is one of the oldest styles of backgrounds used in photography studios. It is a very think fabric like material that can be easily painted on, and is usually used for the “photo real” backgrounds, such as Christmas, Easter, and other holiday backgrounds you see in many studios. It is a very dependable material, but is also a very expensive material,and usually only comes in small sections compared to the rest of the photography studio backgrounds. Muslin is actually the replacement for this material as a background in most studios.
Chroma Key / Green Screen Backgrounds
If you do not know what chroma key is, then this type of background may be a difficult choice for you to use. If you do know then you most likely understand why this is the cheapest of all of the background choices. Chroma key is a single color of green or blue that acts as a guide when replacing the background of a digital image. This means that you can replace the background with anything you like without painstakingly selecting every small fragment of an image.
Image by Peter Pearson
These are the most common choices for backgrounds in a photography studio, and will make up a majority of any material you need or want to shoot with. I may write a few more detailed articles about each material to better explain the advantages and disadvantages of each material.
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