Floordrop?

I didn't know which section to post this in, my apology if I'm in the wrong place.

I have a gray cloth background (let's call it thunder gray), and I want to get a floor piece that would go along well with it, so I can shoot models that are sitting or laying down.

What would transition well to a gray background, and isn't too expensive? And I'd actually prefer a hard material, maybe even glossy.

Get a seamless roll of thunder gray.

bobbyz wrote in post #18535223
Get a seamless roll of thunder gray.

Paper gets ruined pretty quickly from being walked on, doesn't it?

icor1031 wrote in post #18535253
Paper gets ruined pretty quickly from being walked on, doesn't it?

Yes. Which is why we use it. It can be cut off and discarded and more unrolled. Unless you want to purchase some flooring that will compliment the color of the cloth then paper is a good alternative.

gonzogolf wrote in post #18535271
Yes. Which is why we use it. It can be cut off and discarded and more unrolled. Unless you want to purchase some flooring that will compliment the color of the cloth then paper is a good alternative.

What flooring do you think would go well with gray?

Savage Grey Pine Floor. https://savageuniversa​l.com …ops/gray-pine-floor-drop/

There are lot of options now a days. All depends on how the bg looks and what goes well with it. Look at Denny Mfg's catalog. Silverlake has nice stuff. There are others I guess also. I have shot bare wall and concrete floor in the studio.

Thanks! And I have two ideas:

What do you gents think of white tileboard with a gray backdrop?
I think that would look too 'industrial,' and the contrast would be harsh.

And what about this, again - with gray? https://www.menards.co​m …710018105772859​8&ipos=117

If it helps, look at my style here: http://www.idealportra​its.com/studio.php

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EDIT: I think I'm going to go with quasi-seamless gray. I'll sew another gray sheet onto the one I have; the stitching shouldn't be visible, and hopefully not the joining - either.
I was ready to buy a seamless gray paper, but the sizes don't fit my apartment / what I'm doing.

sheets on the floor with full length doesn't look that good
IMHO. Tile board can be painted but would need support underneath. It also chips over time. White one is nice for use with white seamless paper. You can also buy laminate flooring and join them and put some plywood on bottom if floors are carpet.

a greyish wood laminate flooring is probably best. certainly the most durable. if portability isn't a consideration.

Another thought- I have a 4x8 sheet of plexiglass that i use a lot for this. If nothing else, it smooths out the cloth floor if you use that. I put it on paper too- just to give the model a place to stand.

It can reflect up a little bit- which is good and bad, depending on what you are after. I really like the reflection on black cloth or paper. Other colors- it depends on the shoot. The young lady with the umbrella is standing on it, you can see a slight bit of reflection, but for the most part, I'm just trying to give her a good surface to stand on. In the case of the girl with the purple hair, I was trying to emphasize the reflection. That was shot with black cloth under the clear sheet of plexi.

As always- lots of ways to do things. I just thought I would add my 2 cents.

mychelelise wrote in post #18535275
Savage Grey Pine Floor. https://savageuniversa​l.com …ops/gray-pine-floor-drop/

That's a pretty cool idea:-
hard-wearing
washable
re-usable
portable


I like the colour-scheme/pattern options - I wonder if they're available in the UK and or Bulgaria??
Is the material 'reflective to light' / 'light-absorbent' ?

sfinkernagel wrote in post #18536685
Another thought- I have a 4x8 sheet of plexiglass that i use a lot for this. If nothing else, it smooths out the cloth floor if you use that. I put it on paper too- just to give the model a place to stand.

It can reflect up a little bit- which is good and bad, depending on what you are after. I really like the reflection on black cloth or paper. Other colors- it depends on the shoot. The young lady with the umbrella is standing on it, you can see a slight bit of reflection, but for the most part, I'm just trying to give her a good surface to stand on. In the case of the girl with the purple hair, I was trying to emphasize the reflection. That was shot with black cloth under the clear sheet of plexi.

As always- lots of ways to do things. I just thought I would add my 2 cents.

Hosted photo: posted by sfinkernagel in
./showthread.php?p=185​36685&i=i258927797
forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

Hosted photo: posted by sfinkernagel in
./showthread.php?p=185​36685&i=i253938371
forum: Flash and Studio Lighting

WOW - That for me is the 'ideal'. Massive perspex sheet(s) for full-body portraits and small group family portraits.
I could not possibly find the storage area to comfortably stock this when it is not-in-use. I would be scared to get them scratched.

(Right now I am only 'collecting' perspex sheets in A6/A5/A4 & A3 sizes from an eBay supplier - in various colours, solely for product-photography purposes)

I am guessing a little bit to understand your message- I guess I am one of those ignorant Americans who doesn't know the conversions for your measures. It sounds like you have storage concerns for the bigger sheets though. Honestly- it's not too bad. My assistant and I have about 7-8 panels that we store. This clear one, a couple of white ones, fake brick, wood print. we stand them on their edge and lean them against the wall and they are pretty much out of the way when not in use.

The clear plexi has held up pretty well with scratches. I've had it about 2 years, and it is still very usable. I would think that in another 2 or so, I'll probably replace it though.

sfinkernagel wrote in post #18538464
I am guessing a little bit to understand your message- I guess I am one of those ignorant Americans who doesn't know the conversions for your measures. It sounds like you have storage concerns for the bigger sheets though. Honestly- it's not too bad. My assistant and I have about 7-8 panels that we store. This clear one, a couple of white ones, fake brick, wood print. we stand them on their edge and lean them against the wall and they are pretty much out of the way when not in use.

The clear plexi has held up pretty well with scratches. I've had it about 2 years, and it is still very usable. I would think that in another 2 or so, I'll probably replace it though.

Hi 'sfinkernagel',

I really do like the effects produced by you using these perspex-sheets.

Yep, you read me right on both counts!

I do get the fact that the plexi-sheets can be conveniently stowed against walls.
My 'studio' in Bulgaria is a very modest and simple roofed outdoor decked area with 4 x Posts & crossbeams - so no walls available!
(In Spring-to-Summer, temperatures reach +40C - and there is little wind/breeze to speak of - hence my choice to setup outdoors!)
I simply hang various fabrics as backdrops over these crossbeams that drape onto the decking - yep a lot of fabric
(Fabrics are stored away in custom-made wooden storage boxes inside the main house).

I suppose, the way to overcome my problem would be to build a separate 'shed' to store these perspex-sheets in.
To overcome any 'scratching', I would probably need to buy polystyrene sheets to sandwich them between the plexi-sheets.

It is something that I have to seriously think about. I know that these clear perspex sheets are readily available in Bulgaria.
When I head out there again in late-Spring, I will see whether I can source other colours.