When I posted this photo of my daughter for the laughter challenge, I got a lot of questions about the pink background. Was I in a studio? Where did I find that pink backdrop?
Can you guess how I did it?
Here is my secret!
The hardest part was keeping her on the right side of the blanket. It's way more fun to play behind it:-)
1. Find a location with good natural light.
- Face your backdrop towards the light source.
- I moved the crib near a window and made sure to open the shutters wide.
2. Be creative.
- Use a sheet, fabric, table cloth, or blanket.
- For $8-$50 (depending on size), you can get a large roll of seamless paper in any color.
3. Find an easy solution for hanging your backdrop.
For small children:
Hang your backdrop over a crib, back of couch, table, chairs or kitchen counter.
For adults:
Hang your backdrop from a wall, stair rails, top of refrigerator or book shelf. Let it drape on the floor if you want a full body shot. You can hold the bottom in place with tape, bricks or something heavy you have around the house.
4. Use tools.
Use tacks or self adhesive hooks to hang backdrops from walls. Safety pins and spring clamps are also great to have on hand to hold backdrops in place. Gaffer tape is a good type of tape to use for backdrops. It's easy to tear and doesn't leave a sticky residue.
Be creative and have fun! My daughter and I had a blast at our photo shoot in her room:-)
Want to see how the pros get that perfect white background? Check out this White Seamless Tutorial by Zack Arias.
Amy Locurto, Co-Founder of I ♥ Faces, is a mom of two, Photoshop/Mac addicted graphic designer who provides free downloads, recipes and creative DIY ideas on her personal blog. She sometimes she even gets a little sleep!
31 comments:
Yay...I do the same thing. At least now I know it is something I can confess too doing!
What a creative way to achieve professional and yet also affordable results!
Such great ideas : ). I loved that picture of your baby laughing. She was so cute. I also liked the texture of the blanket! You are the coolest!
Glad to know I am not the only one who gets creative! I make money with my photography and do not have a studio (unless you count my living room)!
Amy those pictures are ADORABLE! She's so cute!!! In a pinch one year I used a plain white sheet and colorized it in photoshop...I know that's kind of "cheating" but you gotta do what you gotta do! Thanks for sharing and posting such cute pics!! =)
for fun texture try using curtin panels! sounds funky but i have a gold demask set that are just textured enough to add some flair. Happy picture taking.
great ideas! and so very timely as i was wondering about this just yesterday! i.e. i knew it was something i did, but i didn't know real people did it. hahahah
These are great ideas. Thanks!
I must be in a giggly mood because I was laughing hysterically when I saw where you hung your backdrop. hehe
Great idea! Thanks for the tip.
I have no decent natural light in my house. At first I thought it was my issue, then I realized it is a light issue. Luckily I have a studio set up in my basement, but I still love the natural light shots better! Great ideas!
Yup, I've done that before too =) Thanks for the other ideas!
For babies, toddlers, and sitting kids, I use a rolling laundry hanger I picked-up at Target. It has telescoping side bars, so it's adjustable for different heights. I just tape (or clip) a sheet to the bar where you hang your clothes. Sometimes, I put it on a table for taller kids. It cost me $20 and I've used it for well over 1,000 pictures!
That's an awesome idea! I have been trying to figure out how I can hang stuff to do photo shoots with my little boy. THANKS!
FANTASTIC idea!!!
Your little gal is just too cute for her own good Amy...she's going to be a wonderful daughter-in-law for me. ;)
Awesome tutorial!
~Angie
co-founder of iHeartFaces
If you have enough space to move your subject away from the background.. all sorts of possibilities open up .. including ugly shower curtains. :)
Posts like this are why I LOVE this site. Thank you!
Amy, Those are the cutest pretty in pink pictures I've ever seen! Love this!
That looks great Amy! I would never know~
i have done that before too! and the kiddos love it.
I love that! Thanks for sharing this simple to do tip. I actually considered this when I paid for my kids Christmas photos and noticed how they had a simple white backdrop behind my kids and was thinking 'Hmmm, I can do that!', but still haven't tried it. I think I'll begin to start 'playing' with this idea and working with it to see how things turn out.
Thanks,
~Sarah
YEAH!! Thats what I did for these shots- http://www.spoiledmommy.com/my_life_my_story/2009/06/wordless-wednesday-1.html
I use my sunroom, hung a white sheet against the windows so it lit the back of the sheet making it brighter and then the light from the other sides lit the front.
Ive tried black too...but not PINK...AH, Ive gotta try some pink pictures!
That's a great idea Amy! I've done similar here. Our house is very small so I use the garage and open the doors with a little bracket hubby hung from the ceiling it works great for Shower curtains that come in all kinds of funky colors! And, you can use the shower hooks!
Yep, been there, done that! Our secret is out now! :-)
What a great idea ... Thanks so much. I love your blog!
that is an awesome Idea! I am always looking for inexpensive ways to do this!
Fantastic Tip! Keep 'em comin!!! ;)
What a great idea! I was looking to try something similar with a newborn and family with a black sheet.
Some of the best pictures I have taken of my daughter are of her in her baptism dress with a pastel yellow sheet hanging off her crib and draped onto the floor.
http://lanechinaadoption.blogspot.com/2009/04/picture-crazy.html
Great ideas - thanks for sharing them! I sometimes buy fabric off the dollar table at Walmart to use as backdrops.
This is a fantastic post. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us, Amy.
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