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Backdrop Bulletins+Tips #1 |
"I just love the Rembrandt ... I get a lot of customer comments on how good it looks. Thank you." — Mary S., North York, Ontario Kristian Industries E-mail sales@krin.com To order, use PayPal online options or call toll-free |
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Backdrop Topics covered in Bulletin #3:
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The Secret Language of Photographs
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Photography Tips
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 The Secret Language of Family Photographs: The metalanguage of paintings was a big deal in the Neo-Classical, Romantic, Renaissance periods -- each person's position and pose in the painting was carefully calculated. The viewer, if able to "read" the painting, was privy to "relative status" information that a casual observer missed. Body language and poses still make a difference in the feel of the photo -- do the family members touch each other? Do their shoulders overlap to indicate a tight family unit? Do the senior members sit in the middle? Are the couples torsos turned to face each other? Are the kids between them or on the outside? Is the mother the heart of the family and everyone gathers around her? Skilled viewers can read the body language in the photo. Often, the most pleasing shots are those that are true to the personality of the family. Marketing Tips for Increasing Your Photography Business:
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Don't ask them to say cheese. Instead, just before shooting, ask them to sing Old Macdonald Had a Farm. Kids know the words and respond well, and even the adults may laugh. You get natural body language and better facial expressions. Use a symmetrical shape of grouping. Try an inverted triangle with one person in the front middle, place pairs of people beside and behind, three in the next row etc. Photo may look more balanced if everyone gets the same amount of space and each person is showcased equally. |
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Storing and Transporting Backdrops
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MacGyver Tips
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Don't store the backdrop in a bag, dyes are organic compounds, and you could end up with a smelly backdrop. There are better ways to make an impression on your clients! Let it breathe when in storage, dry shelf in the studio or basement will make it happy. For transportation (especially for oversize backdrops) get a gym or hockey bag or use a construction-grade garbage bag (Home Depot has them). Don't fold backdrops (you'll see the creases in photos), instead crush pack for transportation. Creases will be random. For very smooth look backdrop (canvas-like portrait application), iron the back drop on cotton setting, then duct-tape one end to a plastic ABS pipe (Home Depot, gray or black 2" pipe) and roll up for storage and transportation. If you want to travel light (and who doesn't?) use MacGyver tips for a quick hang without poles and crossbars. Get the orange-tipped woodworking clamps from Home Depot, attach wire (bits of string or eletrical copper wire) through clamp hole (remove the plastic handle) and hook with padded quick-release clamps to door frames, T-bar ceiling, etc. |
  Using clamps and clips to hang your backdrop is faster and safer-- if the client steps too far back on the floor piece, the clamps will pop open and will not tear the cloth. With a rod pocket, your support stand might fall. |
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Lighting Backdrops
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30ft w/ floor piece!
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Backdrop darkness (like everything else that's visible to human eye in the universe) is a function of reflected light.
If you want the backdrop to look darker, put less light on it, or move it farther away from your subject light boxes (e.g., with family on right, you'd use a 30ft to give a floor piece and still have room to move the group to foreground). In turn, more light on the backdrop will make it appear lighter (subject lights will spill to backdrop). One great way to get variety is to use spot lights (e.g., from floor, from side) in parts of the backdrop and leave other areas in dark. There's a very fancy term for it: "chiaroscuro" (distribution of light and dark areas, esp. paintings). Also, you can use gels to shift color cast. Dance Studio Backdrops: It's a tough call but sometimes you have to take into account the stage lighting -- if the stage lights are strong, your backdrop selection should take this into account -- if we go too light on the colors, the stage lights will over-light and wash out the colors. |
 With a 30 ft length, you are better able to control the amount of light spilling to the backdrop -- you can increase the distance of backdrop behind the subjects and still have a floor piece. |
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YOUR OPINION IS A BIG DEAL TO US!
Save $30 on the spot by taking our 2-minute customer survey: We are trying our best to give you new fresh ideas for quality backdrops that are also reasonably priced. And your opinion counts. What's important to you? Where do we suck? What can we do to improve our selections? How do you rate us? Your opinions are valuable. And as our thanks, we will credit $30 any 20ft+ backdrop you order now or in the future. Thanks, John. Click Here. |
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