Art of Photography Guide

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Photography backdrops are what turn a normal indoor photograph into a photographic delight you will remember for a long time. Despite the presumed hassle, photography backdrops are actually very easy to put together. This is because materials can be conveniently procured at any specialized vendor. If you intend to go that extra mile in a photo shoot, photography backdrops are what you need.

A photography backdrop consists of any combination of materials which you place behind the subject of your photos. The purpose is to add an artistic effect. Backdrops for photography are widely used by professional photographers in order to achieve artistic excellence with their photos, in both studios and homemade sets. They usually require the assembly of a number of elements: different types of stands, a (painted) canvas, some portable lighting, and various types of paper and fabric, depending on what is intended.

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Regardless of what materials are being used, photography backdrops are something you should think about if you plan on taking a set of special photos you want to remember for the rest of your life. As such, we will present 10 great photography backdrops you will certainly fall in love with and, perhaps, use for your next photo shoot.

10. MUSLIN BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Amongst the most common types of custom-made backdrops, this material can be used for any kind of photo shoot where simplicity and a powerful contrast are desired.  Whether blue, gray, red or green, the muslin is both affordable and easy to set up. You can even set it up outdoor, and experiment with lights in order to get the best shot. You can use a wooden frame to secure the material into place. As such, make sure you have a tool kit and, of course, a sufficiently large space to mount the material itself.

9. BLACK AND WHITE BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

This is a simple and yet intriguing material for photography backdrops. The black and white wallpaper is a really good idea if you want to keep it subtle and play with powerful contrasts. You can buy various types of printed black and white wallpaper online in order to expedite the preparation process. You can also use dyed cloth or any other type of material in order to get the desired effect.

8. RECORD WALL BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

The perfect idea for music addicts. Record wall photography backdrops will give your photos a funky air and will turn them into wonderful memories to look back at. However, if you don’t already have many vinyl records at home, this might be quite difficult to pull off. If you decide to go forward with the idea, make sure you safely attach the records to your background wall, lest they fall and become damaged. In addition, you can place a soft carpet or pillows on the floor for extra safety. If you plan on taking care of your vinyl record during the photo shoot, check out this great list of places you can find them.

7. COLOR CRAZY BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Get creative by using multi-colored ribbons to build a stand and a colored wall. Anything goes here, really, so don’t hesitate to use as many colors as you deem necessary and to experiment with multiple ideas. You can buy colored the colored ribbons online, or paint them yourself to create a vintage atmosphere in your photos. The best place to do this is indoors, but, if you build a sturdy frame for attaching the ribbons, you might as well do it in your back yard.

6. DIY PHOTO BOOTH BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

A creative, classy, and incredibly funny photography backdrop. Building your own photo booth is how your friends will know that your passion for photography is here to stay. However, putting the booth together might take some time. Nevertheless, in the end, it will provide an excellent platform in which to stage all kinds of photographs. As for any DIY photography backdrop, you will need some skill at putting stuff together. In addition, some experience in working with wood and cloth will be required.

Though it’s cheaper than an already-prepared backdrop, procuring all the materials will still cost you quite a bit. To cover your costs, you can always sell or rent out your photo booth to other photography addicts. Make sure you give faithful clients a discount!

5. WEDDING BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Any wedding photos should be made with some serious style. As such, using photography backdrops at your wedding is something that you will certainly think about doing. If the backgrounds are properly prepared, your wedding photos will seem as straight out of a fairytale.

4. GRAFFITI BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Graffiti walls are the ultimate photography backdrops for conveying a bad boy or girl attitude in your photos. The rough neighborhood style put forward by graffiti walls will be very difficult to match by other tough-guy photo settings, as graffiti is intimately connected to a difficult adolescence and a precarious future. If you find the perfect angles and lighting, the resulting photos can actually be stunning. Check out a number of famous graffiti locations here.

3. LYRICS BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

This is probably the best photography backdrop for hopeless romantics. The lyrics backdrop consists of a large roll of paper with your favourite lyrics. The paper can be fixed on a wooden frame, from which it can roll vertically to the floor. The, it can continue as a carpet, on which the couple will stand during the photo shoot. The powerful symbolism of literally being a part of the lyrics will definitely earn the resulting photos a place in the Pantheon of good memories.

2. THEATRE BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

This is the ultimate template for endless creativity. Theatre photography backdrops provide endless possibilities in which you can exercise your imagination. From a winter landscape to a beach scene, and from a real theatre scene in Hamlet or Romeo & Juliet, staging your photo shoot in a theatre set will definitely lead to some extremely memorable photos.

1. PAINTED CANVAS BACKDROP

10 GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS

Despite all the wonderful photography backdrops we have seen so far, only one can truly embody the true spirit of aesthetics and cause us to pause in awe at the nanosecond of time captured in the frame: the painted canvas backdrop. A well-made painted canvas will turn your portrait into a veritable Renaissance masterpiece. So, if you want to reproduce the antique aspect of old photographs, and yet impress future generations with a tinge of modernity, a painted canvas backdrop is what you must use. Discover a great collection of painted canvas backdrops here.

PHOTOGRAPHY BACKDROPS – ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY AT ITS VERY BEST

As we have seen, photography backdrops are a great way to give back photography what it truly deserves. In the age of mass photography, a step back towards traditional art is what we need. This is what photography backdrops can provide.