Urgent: Background System

[yalemba]

I am soon going to buy a background support system as the first step to set up a home studio. Any recommendations on vendors (bogen, westcott, etc.)?

Thanks.

[msvirick]

I am in the same boat. Will follow your threads.

[robertwgross]

What's urgent?

---Bob Gross---

[DaveG]

I actually use the Westcott collapsable backdrops. I use them on location a lot so this way I can avoid having to drag light stands as well.

I have two that I use regularly, an 8'X8' with an 8' sweep and a smaller reversable 6'X4'. I use the bigger one when I need to do groups. I can easily get three people, and four - with care - into a shot. If I wanted to take the time I could figure out a way to mount the backdrop side ways and this would give me a background 16' wide.

Both of these background are self supporting if you can lean them up against a wall, but I prefer to use the smaller one with a single light stand and a clamp. It lets me position that background anywhere I want.

These backdrops collapse into a smaller circle that is fairly easily transported. I should say that putting up the bigger one can sometimes look like something out of the three stooges since you put up one side and then scramble to put up the other and this can look as dumb as it sounds! There's also a trick to collapsing the backgrounds. It's not impossible to work out, but be prepared to either spend an hour or two at home figuring it out or to embarrass yourself in the field!

Whatever you do with the background the strongest piece of advice that I could give you would be to make sure that the background is just shades of grey. With that colour you can add gels to the backgound lights to change it to any colour you like. If the background does have its own colour you'll be stuck with it.

[deztoys]

Do you want a portable background support? Or are you building this into your home studio? I built the backdrop out of 2 stands and some aluminum tubing from the local Industria Metal Supply shop (IMS). The light stands I got from JandK Group on ebay. The tube is 3/4 inch aluminum 6061 with a piece of solid aluminum 5/8 rod in the ends to connect additional lengths. total cost was a bout $80. I can increase ot decrease the width of the backdrop by adding or removing sections of the tube. The 5/8 solid stock is the same diameter as the holes in the JandK Air cusioned stand head.

The whole thing packs into a light stand bag.

Works great.

Scott

[yalemba]

Thanks folks for your feedback. I have finally settled on $200 Bogen's background set. It has two 8' stands and a collapsable 12' rod. The whole set is pretty light and came in chrome finish.

[deztoys]

I don't know how others feel, but chrome has always made me wonder. My feelings on stands stands and such is that they should be absorbent of light, not reflective. Just my 2 bits.


Scott