Coloring a Grey BackDrop and Vignette

I have a few scenic backdrops and would like to invest in a more traditional mottled muslin with a hotspot or vignette. I've seen posts here from others who will use a grey backdrop and then color it with a strobe and gels and would like to try this.

Since I'm still only experimenting at this stage, I'd like to keep the backdrop cost down and am searching eBay. Nearly always, the grey backdrops I see there have a consistent mottling; there's no hotspot or vignetting. I'm wondering, though, if this isn't something I'd create with the background light anyway? And if so, does the color of the gel carry out to the darker edges of the vignette?

Any insights will be appreciated.

Here's a thread for ya.
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=415671

The key to getting saturated color is to use a dark background. Light grey won't cut it. A light background will pickup light from the main & fill lights and the color will get washed out. With a dark background you will need more flash power under the gel, but that's the idea - you need to overpower the the main & fill lights without blowing it out.

In order to create a vignette you'll need to use some kind of snoot or grid on the flash. You won't get much noticeable color in the corners where the light doesn't hit it.

Be careful with those gels. They pickup a lot of heat. Make sure there's a bit of air space between the gel and the flash lens.

A very good example of what can be done with a BLACK background

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=4485524&po​stcount=23

And a great comparison of the use of white vs. black background

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=9492981&po​stcount=13

And black vs grey vs white

https://photography-on-the.net …php?p=3261798&p​ostcount=7

You guys are great; thanks!

Let me ask the question a different way. It seemed like all of the discourse in that thread involved seamless which can have a reflective quality to it. Will this same concept work with muslin which is not reflective at all?

Great links.. How would you go about gelling for a full body shot?

Peacefield wrote in post #13250877
Let me ask the question a different way. It seemed like all of the discourse in that thread involved seamless which can have a reflective quality to it. Will this same concept work with muslin which is not reflective at all?

Muslin is still going to reflect light. Almost any surface that's not black with reflect light.

The darker the color, the more light it will absorb. Yes, knitted or woven fabrics will 'leak' more light but they're still going to reflect it.