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TamiL Oct 21, 2006

I have been using a old black vinyl for years for my dolls. Tried a blue poster board the other day but did not like it, you could see the texture of the board in the pictures.
Love the hand painted muslin backdrops but can't seem to find small ones only huge sizes with huge prices.
So I was curious if anyone had some ideas.

Thanks,
Tami

Aleta - The Silly Bear Oct 21, 2006

Hi Tami, 
Funny you should bring up this subject.  Just today I went on a hunt for backdrop fabric.  I went to my local quilt shop for ideas and came home with a pale blue flannel, cream flannel and a lovely mottled brown cotton fabric.  The brown fabric looks like painted canvas.  The pale blue flannel is lovely for photographing lighter bears.  I don't know if I like the cream flannel yet or not.  I'm going back tomorrow for the pale pink flannel to see how that works.

I think it just takes fiddling around to see what you like best and what works best.  Some bears photograph really great on the brown background and others look really icky.  By the time I'm done expirementing I will probably have a whole host of colors to work with. 

My advise is to expirement.  What works for one person with one type of camera might not work for another. 

Happy experimenting!!

Warmest bear hugs,  :hug:
Aleta

TamiL Oct 21, 2006

Thanks Aleta, I have not tried flannel yet.  I didnt want anything that would wrinkle.
So that might work well.

Aleta - The Silly Bear Oct 21, 2006

Wrinkles?  Yep.  I had to steam all the fabrics when I got home.  Haven't figured out how I'm going to store them yet.  Right now they're hanging over the bannister like clean linens on a dry line.  I'll have to remedy that situation in the morning.

Warmest hugs,  :hug:
Aleta

tuppies teddies Oct 21, 2006

I generally use a brown velvet back drop but when the bears are dark I use a length of cream linen.
This is a picture I took of oscar with the cream linen behind him. The material is actually pegged to my curtains with clothes pegs on a north facing window for the light..

jenny Oct 21, 2006

I am a fan of paper backdrops. The mount card type is great and comes in myriad colours...and doesn't crease. I also have wallpaper rolls which are nice too. I have brown and pale green in those in a plain design and texture. I just rip a piece off and peg it to the inside of my light box.
I don't go for any kind of fabric because it tends to crease and hang in folds which often detracts from the bear and can look messy. From my point of view the plainer the better. I think that backgrounds, unless they are part of the bears image as a type of 'arty' picture , should be of a colour that complements the subject but doesn't fight with the bear for attention.

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorOct 21, 2006

I use plain solid colored fleece fabric... NO wrinkles!!!

I have 3 colors to keep it simple:  White, black and royal blue.  I decided upon the royal blue after seeing how wonderful the photos look with the Plum Club weekly sales at Bear Paths

samanthapotter Oct 21, 2006

For photographing my miniatures, I use a sheet of 'fun foam' which is available from craft shops.  It is intended to be cut up and used in craft projects, but I use a sheet of it in the appropriate colour.  It curves to provide the back-drop and the ground in one piece, without there being a line where the back and ground meet (if you get what I mean! ).  Provides great results as it does not crease like fabric, and stays in place as it is firmer than paper.  Obviously, it only comes in fairly small sheets, so is mainly suitable for miniature and smaller bears.

Jodi Falk Oct 21, 2006

Fun foam is a good idea. I like most to use out side plants and greenery but For magazines I still use fabric. and I like to see a pattern some times in the fabrics.

edie Oct 21, 2006

When I made larger bears I used fabric backdrops but it was a pain as you always had to iron it - unless it was a really dark brown or navy then the wrinkles didn't seem to show up! Now that I am making minis I use paper - either construction paper or lightweight cardstock that will bend into a curve. I have a variety of colors but mostly use a light blue that comes out looking like a grey/blue, a dull green, light brown or beige, depending on the bear and the available light - time of day makes a HUGE difference. I agree you don't want to use a color that will take the attention away from the bear, but on the right bear I have successfully used, red, pink, orange, brighter blues, and brighter greens. Never thought of the fun foam, Samantha. I'll have to give that a try. I find with minis you have to be a lot more careful about textures than with larger bears.

cherylbruinwerks Oct 21, 2006

Wrinkles?  Yep.  I had to steam all the fabrics when I got home.

I have several cardboard rolls from wrapping paper, paper towels, or even carpet rolls from Home Depot(they will happily give them to you free! ). I covered them with quilt batting and a layer of fabric and wrap my easily wrinkled tablecloths and napkins on them. I'm sure this would work for backdrops as well even if they come out not quite perfect it would still be less ironing (and who doesn't love that!)
Cheryl

sarahjane Oct 21, 2006

I have beem using fabric too...but like everyone else I would love something that doesn't wrinkle 

Shari Oct 21, 2006

Wrinkles, I have the cardboard rolls that the use at the fabric store for bolts of drapery and uhpolstery fabric and they roll up well without wrinkles. Ask for a roll the next time you shop the fabric department or store, they will proboably give you a few     

Tami E Oct 22, 2006

Shari, I was just going to say that I have my fabric background on one of those fabric store rolls, but when I asked for it, the woman at the fabric counter didn't want to give it to me. I was purchasing the last of the roll and asked if I could have the tube and she said no. I said  "I don't want the fabric then" (I didn't! I was buying this particular lot becasue it was still on the roll!) She seemed irritated but gave it to me anyway.

It really does make a good non wrinkly place to store my background fabric which is blue felt.

All Bear Oct 23, 2006

My sister is a photographer and she has some great professional 'pop up' backgrounds ... we used one yesterday in mottled greys/blues ... here's a couple of pics!  We also used velvet fabrics, ranging from plain dark blue, dark brown to a wonderfully vivid mottled orange which worked really well with my peachy bear.  Whenever I take my own pics, I set them in my garden on the stepping stones.  It gives a nice natural effect and I like the pics for my website, however, the studio shots are useful for promotional materials and competition entries etc.

Jodi Falk Oct 23, 2006

Great pictures and beautiful subjects    How lucky you are to have some one in the family that does such a great job. Wow thats half the battle

All Bear Oct 23, 2006

Thanks Jodi!  We've had fun with the bear shots .. I'm in awe of Tina's abilities.  Her main work as a photographer is far more diverse! She is a terrific portrait photographer, (took a lovely shot of me with my partner yesterday .. I'm thrilled with it as I usually hate having my pic taken!) but my favourite pics are her landscapes, they are absolutely beautiful.
The pics above are raw files that I've chopped in my editing programme, when they are professionally edited and printed they will be gorgeous!  It's very exciting for me! 

TamiL Oct 23, 2006

Hi Paula, lucky you! Great pics! That picture of you and your bear is wonderful!
You look so pretty!!!

fredbear Oct 24, 2006

Well Paula, I cannot decide if you or your bear are the better of the two. What a lovely picture.
I wish I could have someone taking my pictures that I could relax with, as soon as someone is near me with a camera  my jaw seems to freeze.

I think back drops have been covered here somewhere and that Judi also gave some good suggestions.

Lynette

All Bear Oct 24, 2006

Thanks Lynette!  Having my sister take the pics meant I didn't mind the photos being taken at all.  It was fun!  I would hate to go to a studio with a photographer I didn't know ... like you, I get a frozen jaw!!