best choice for backdrop

[jo_mikis]

<p>Hello i am ready to buy my first backdrop and i dodnt know what to choose the seamless paper or muslin . I saw some avedons set up and i dodnt unserstand the material of tha background. What you think ?<br /><br /><p><b>Moderator: Per the photo.net Terms of Use, please do not post photos that are not yours.</b></p>

[jo_mikis]

<p>check the link for the photo<br /><br />http://pleasurephoto.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/suzy-parker-in-diors-sumptious-evening-gown-of-black-chantilly-lace-over-pale-chiffon-with-black-velvet-streamers-and-lace-scarf-photo-by-avedon-paris-studio-august-1956.jpg</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>Not sure about what Avedon used as a background. What would be helpful is to know what exactly you are photographing? My preference is seamless paper.</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>Avedon often used a white 5' seamless paper bg. He could tape it to a north wall for the flat lighting effect. Remember, he started photographing in the Coast Guard, ID photos. White bg, flat light, blank expressions. </p>

[pge]

<p>I find that seemless gives you more options, even a single colour can look very different depending on how you light it. I have also been able to pick up several rolls quite cheaply on craigs list. Photographers often buy a colour for a particular project and then sell the roll for next to nothing so they don't have to store it.</p>

<p>I cut a piece off a roll once because it was dirty with foot prints. I folded a paper airplane out of it 9 feet in length and then threw if off the 3rd floor deck of my house. It travelled quite a ways. So you see, seemless has other uses outside of photography. Try to do that with a muslin.</p>

[pge]

<p>This roll was getting a bit old so I let my 10 year old daughter (at the time) shoot it with a water pistol. We then did a family portrait using it.</p><div></div>

[henryp]

<p>IMO seamless is a cleaner look, no wrinkles, fold lines, etc but cloth is far more durable. If you want one background you can use and reuse get cloth. If you want a background you can use once and then discard, get paper.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>Seamless is not a once use throw away. If you are not doing full lengths then you roll it back up for another use. If on the other hand you are doing full length pictures then you cut only the part that is dirty or wrinkled and roll it back up for another use. For $40 to $50 you get many uses out of seamless.<br>

As far as muslin if you like that wrinkled look then go for it otherwise you have to steam it each and every time you use it.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

I like the look of seamless paper as it handles full body portraits gracefully, you can see it's there but it doesn't have distracting features.

But if you want a background of a reasonable width, you need the space to store it and if you take it on location you have to have a way

of transporting it. So I think seamless is best suited for a permanent studio where the rolls are mounted on hooks and you can select

which one to roll down for a particular shoot. If you have a van or wagon then transportation may be easire but I can imagine the paper

could be damaged in transport fairly easily.

 

Cloth by contrast can be folded into a bag and transported easily in a compact space. But, depending on the material of the collapsible

background it may get wrinkled or not. I have a white / black collapsible background which doesn't wrinkle, but the dyed textured

collapsible ones that I have do wrinkle. Rather than iron them I stretch them out using clothes pegs. However with cloth it is more difficult

to get the floor part (train) to look good. If someone has any tips regarding un-wrinkling the train, I would appreciate hearing them!

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Seamless is cheap and simple, so it's a good start. Anything about the five foot size is not very portable, however. I would start with "studio gray" -- I find pure white or pure black too stark. And unless you're carefull with your lighting they won't photograph as pure white/pure black anyway.<br /><br />As for muslin, "you have to steam it each and every time you use it" is not my experience at all. The key to not having wrinkles show up in a muslin backdrop is 1) you crumple the backdrop up in its bag between uses rather than trying to neatly fold it. That way you get random wrinkles that are harder to see than nice straight creases and 2) you keep it far enough behind the subject and use a wide enough aperture that it's out of focus.</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>Craig I understand what you are saying about how to prevent one from seeing the texture or wrinkles in a muslin but why do I have to put limitations on how I choose to shoot? Full length shots on muslin is going show texture and wrinkles no matter what you do anyway. It is a look either you like or don't. I personally do not and I think it is old school looking. As far as having it 5 or 6 feet away for a 3/4 or headshot then yes it is easier to transport than paper. </p>

[bob_bill]

<p>When I get to the last 9-10 feet of seamless, it lasts a long time used for head shots since it doesn't get dirty on the floor. A 9 footer allows me movement right and left to get different angles. </p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>Michael -- you are correct. It is difficult to get muslin wrinkle-free when doing full length or groups. I've seen it pulled up with clips so that it "drapes" this way or that and the pattern becomes an intentional part of the picture. But if you want a perfectly smooth background, seamless is better in that situation. I use both, depending on what I'm shooting and where. Each has its uses.</p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>I used to take muslins on the weddings quit often back years ago as it was easy to transport and yet I could set up a 12 foot wide background. Today I do not use any type of background system for weddings but rather use the environment. I do however offer a background (seamless) for corporate jobs or fashion and beauty shoots. </p>