Indoor shooting: Backdrops?

Hi all,

 

I've been thinking about getting some sort of backdrop to help make my photos a little more interesting. I don't take my DDs outside (super-paranoid about everything), but I would love to have a more natural background, or even one that looks like a room in a house or in a cafe.

 

I found these on Ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A10%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&rt=nc&_nkw=bjd%20backdrop&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=1

 

Has anyone ever tried anything like that? What were the results?

 

I know that DD-owner/photographer Wolfheinrich makes his own custom backdrops by using screen shots from visual novels as the print. I really like this idea, because it gives an "anime" background instead of a realistic background, and fits DDs well. However, where do you find these screenshots? My Google-fu is failing me.

 

Example of one of his pics (hard to find one that isn't too ecchi!):

 

Dollfie Dream DD フェイト本局制服セット&バーディーシュ by Wolfheinrich, on Flickr

 

I appreciate your feedback and help!

Ive seen some of those backdrops on ebay but never tried them myself. If you do end up getting some, let me know how they are ^^b

 

I use backdrops for some of my shots, but not a lot since I don't like that flat look =/

Since I am a cheapo I use $1 wrapping paper!~ You get plenty of it in one roll and best of all they come in a lot of patterns~ ^^

 

That is a great idea! I'll look at different types of wrapping paper.

The only "backdrops" I've really used include a grey fleece blanket and a pair of white towels. That or the walls.

I have been thinking of making some of my own backdrops and have a folder of images I thought about using. I found a good place that makes custom posters at a good price

 

http://www.shortrunposters.com/

 

I've ordered about 5 of their 18"X24" posters to hang on my cubicle at work and they came out fantastic looking:

 

 

low quality image from a cell phone in low light. They do sell 24 x 36 sized posters as well but the price goes up a bit for them.

 

I just made sure to add a glossy finish and sized the image for 18X24 dimensions at 300 dpi so it would print nice.

 

With this you could make any type of custom background you would like.

I have been thinking of making some of my own backdrops and have a folder of images I thought about using. I found a good place that makes custom posters at a good price

 

http://www.shortrunposters.com/

 

I've ordered about 5 of their 18"X24" posters to hang on my cubicle at work and they came out fantastic looking:

 

 

low quality image from a cell phone in low light. They do sell 24 x 36 sized posters as well but the price goes up a bit for them.

 

I just made sure to add a glossy finish and sized the image for 18X24 dimensions at 300 dpi so it would print nice.

 

With this you could make any type of custom background you would like.

 

Do want that poster, but with more Mio! ;p

Do want that poster, but with more Mio! ;p

 

Haha - I'm a huge Mio fan as well!

OOh wrapping paper awesome idea!

 

I usually use blankets, since I am a girl (and have a sister) I have a ton of cute/girly blankets around XD lol

I have tried using monitor and projector in my office as a backdrop, results are not that well. Unless you use Photoshop to age the shoot that the blending looks better.

 

I have also got myself two big piece of cloth (white and black) use as simple backdrop or as base.

 

Nice idea with wrapping paper ^_^

I use two fleece blankets, one red and one blue. I do like that wrapping paper idea. Now I just need to get better lights.

For white or black backdrops, you can get rolls of craft foam. They're just the right size for a seamless background for a DD and they're easy to set up since they're more rigid than paper or fabric.

For white or black backdrops, you can get rolls of craft foam. They're just the right size for a seamless background for a DD and they're easy to set up since they're more rigid than paper or fabric.

 

Great idea, thanks!

The backdrop for my 'Rainy Day' post isthe same as that one from ebay. They're pretty decent and I'm actually planning to get another to help set the scene for my dorm. I had to attach mine to one of those display boards so that I could put some furniture int the scenes.

The two backdrops I have are a white and light blue cardboard project board, like you might see students in high school have for presentations. So far it hasn't been bad, better than nothing, but its not the best. the crease from where it folds can get distracting in pictures where it shows, and it doesn't cover the ground (which can be a good thing in some cases)

 

Its a cheap backdrop if nothing else, but I'm certainly hoping for better ones, perhaps ones with more color variance in them other than a solid color.

I've used several backdrops for photography indoors.

Beware, BJD photos since I haven't taken any pictures of my DD indoors:

 

My Screen with a picture of a waterfall as background

 

Roll of wallpaper (in reality it's gold/red), placed on a top of a table and falling to the ground.

Doll stands on it, it's actually the same way you use photography backgrounds (white/black, backgrounds with pictures)

 

The golden side of a thermal blanket (taken out of an old first-aid kit I found in the attic), that's usually awesome if you want really heavy bokeh and sparkles all around. Works also good with aluminium-foil.

 

 

The backgrounds you can buy on ebay for example have several disadvantages:

- they need to be ironed/flattened in someway or else you have a lot of crinkles on them and it's really clear it's just a printed background

- if they have furniture printed on, it always looks weird

- you need to make sure that the light fits the background, there is no use if in the background it's night and your doll and the rest is brightly lit

- you need to make sure that if you take a full-shot your doll is standing on a fitting ground.

A pretty background with a totally unfitting ground makes it look silly.

(- they look best blurred out a bit, but for that you need a camera that is able to do that or you need to place the doll far away from the background)

 

Well, these are the disadvantages...at least if you want the backgrounds to look somehow ~real~.

If you just want them so you don't need to pose your doll in front of a boring white wall, you don't need to care about these problems of course.

I've used several backdrops for photography indoors... [-snip-]

 

I like these backgrounds!

i think using photoshop to add backdrops would be a better choice than print-backdrop.

scale and effects would be more fit and easily

i think using photoshop to add backdrops would be a better choice than print-backdrop.

scale and effects would be more fit and easily

 

 

I was considering the same thing. Perhaps (and I haven't tried this), getting a green screen might work better? Then you could just add in any backdrop you like. I green screens are cheap too. Just buy green cardboard from your local retailer.

The problem with green screen/adding a different background is that it needs a lot of GOOD editing work to not let it look weird or silly.

If you just slap your doll in a photo background it won't look good, not only because it's hard for a beginner to smoothly blend the border between the doll and the added background.

You also need to make sure that the amount and angle of light is the same in the background and on the doll, same for proportions and the overall look of both pictures.

Else it will end like this -> http://www.houstoneventphotography.com/005web.jpg, and while this might be funny for one or two pictures, it's in the end not worth the work. Nobody will take that serious.

 

If you really want an interesting (in-scale) background buy a fitting one for 1/3 dolls on ebay.

It's a lot less work to just put a doll in front of it, and it will look way better too.

I agree with Ara. Unless you are pretty good with photoshop, then green screening might not be quite the option. I've tried that with GIMP (but, like a lunk, did not use green background ) and it was a lot of work. In the end I had to opt for a 'cartoony' style look just to get it to jive. But, of course all this is moot if you've done it before in Photoshop and are comfortable doing so. The 1/3 scale backgrounds aren't that pricey.

I remember a post in DA that showed a girl making a black and white background out of a photo. I think she turned it grey scale then bumped up the contrast and then turned it black and white... I can't seem to find the tutorial, but it may make a cool stylized background.

Hi all,

 

I've been thinking about getting some sort of backdrop to help make my photos a little more interesting. I don't take my DDs outside (super-paranoid about everything), but I would love to have a more natural background, or even one that looks like a room in a house or in a cafe.

I appreciate your feedback and help!

 

 

what a beautiful backdrop i think i would look into one like this once i get my first girl

I usually use blankets or cute blankets, but I've been wanting to buy a real backdrop forever >__>

A few months back I went to a free seminar with a professional macro photographer and I can confirm earlier advice on this thread that printing out a backdrop on paper is a very effective method for customized backdrops. Some of the stuff done at home in a personal studio with a printed backdrop is pretty amazing. I'd give it a shot!

I have a few of the print-to-order 1/4 and 1/3 scale printed backdrops that I use for photographing my existing abjds (all bought via the following Taobao seller:- http://shop61672996.taobao.com/?spm=2013.1.1000126.2.EcHBSF

These can be ordered printed to scale for photographing dolls & figures from 1/6 scale up to larger 70-75cm dolls. I then use them together with my adjustable tripod-style photo backdrop stand kit (bought on Ebay - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Pro-Adjustable-Photo-Studio-Tripod-Backdrop-Background-Stand-Support-Kit-2-4x3m-/251648490970?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3a976b3dda).

Here's some examples of the types of results you get:-

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jenkat/12224524246/in/set-72157630950098404

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jenkat/10985775505/in/set-72157630950098404

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jenkat/11112041933/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jenkat/10989001323/in/set-72157630950098404

Having past experience with wide-format digital print media (used to be a sales rep for a company who sold wide format media for the digital print / sign trade) I know the type of cheap digital flag media that's used for these prints isn't the best thing for the job so I have been working with one of my old clients to try to get some of my own personal backdrop designs printed to try out for photographing my custom work without worry of possible copyright infringement as I am a little dubious as to how and where most of the images used for these types of backdrops that are readily available on Ebay and Taobao at the moment are sourced.