creating a backdrop

For pretty light bokeh backdrops, I string up some Christmas lights and drape some pretty sheer fabric over them. It turns out really pretty with minimal effort!

 

This one of my problems too. I cannot take good pictures and background is one reason. I got some great tips here thanks

 

Lately I've been going a different route. While I still shoot
against "real" backgrounds I've gotten more skilled at doing
selections so I'm shooting my dolls against white seamless
and compositing them in to my landscape images.

 

I use wrapping paper and pretty gift bags from stores like marshell ( I think they have the prettiest and the price isn't that bad too)

 

Some more ideas for backgrounds.

A page from a magazine: Dalrae
You'd be amazed how many pictures in magazines actually work, especially with a little editing. And not just for the really tiny BJDs, this one is 29cm.

A page from a book on nature: Ante says Hi!
When I take my dog for I walk, I'm always on the look for stuff I can use when taking pictures. The piece of bark my Ante is standing on here blends nicely into the picture.

I have a pretty lage collection of pictures taken from tired old books I bought for often $1 or less from stores that sell secondhand goods.
My concern about using these kind of pictures, though, is that in many cases I don't know where they're originally from or who took them. Can anyone here help me if it's O.K. to still use them? Same goes for the pictures taken from magazines.

Shower curtains can make great backdrops for even the largest BJDs:

I found this one while shopping for groceries! Lots of different options too, as the canvas you've got to work with is huge.

And have you ever thought about shopping for backdrops in a pet store?

Julia
What I've used here are the scenery type of backgrounds that you can use in a fishtank or terrarium.
Because these are often pretty wide, they can be great for making photostories too, and even stopmotion pictures!
Another nice quality is that you can sort of curve them around your subject if you want.

In the first picture, I used a piece of fleece fabric to create a suggestion of shallow water with.

 

I like the idea of old dryer sheet. I have to try it, thank you for the idea.

 

I love all the ideas in this thread, thankyou! I mostly take photos outside because I struggle with backgrounds when taking pictures inside!

 

Adding another, as I realise I have learned a lot since my first post here.

A HUGE issue with backdrops is lighting them. They need to be the right degree of lightness for the image you are trying to achieve. This is very difficult to do with a single light (which is what I used to use with my old photos). So, a separate background light (or lights) can be useful. Position the light behind your subject and place a piece of black card between the light and the subject, so that it doesn't fall on them, only on the background.

For example, one light for the subject and one for the background (which is art paper), as I wanted a bright, high key look to this.



ETA: Adding this. It is an off topic doll, so might not be allowed to stick around, but I took these photos after I made this post and thought it was a useful illustration of what lighting the background can do. For the first picture, I risked it with only one light, about 25cm in front of the subject. This meant very little light was hitting the background, which was about 50cm behind the doll and so 75cm away from the light. The background therefore looked dingy. The face also didn't stand out against it and the dull background jarred with the bright foreground. So, I set up a second light behind the doll and pointed it at the background. That gave me the effect I wanted. A bright, high key image with the face and hands (the most important parts) contrasting well with their background and so drawing the eye.



If you want the background to be dark and not be a feature of the picture, you might need to shield it from your subject light. Again, use a piece of back card and move it about until you have blocked as much light as you need from the background, without stealing it from your subject.

So, with this one, the large light I was using to light that full doll was also making the background too bright. I could have brought the doll further forwards. This would involve also moving the light further forward, thereby increasing its distance from the background and so decreasing the degree to which it was lit. However, I have no room in my sitting room. I also could have sorted that out in post processing, but I much prefer doing as much as a I can in camera. So, two pieces of black foamcore were used to shield the edge of the background closest to the light source. That was causing the most trouble.



And that is hessian, my current favourite background. It gives texture when dolls generally don't have much themselves. So, this adds interest.

It also raises another important issue with backgrounds, which is watch your shadows. If you are using a printed backdrop, make sure the shadow cast by your subject doesn't give the game away and show that this is not a real scene. If using an abstract backdrop, like that one, positioning the subject a good distance from the background will mean that shadow will be low on the backdrop and less obvious. Where you can't get rid of it (such as here) treat it as a compositional element and make sure it adds to the picture and does not detract from it. This one required finding a compromise position for the light that lit the figure sufficiently well whilst also casting a pleasing shadow. I could (should) have used a second, background light, but that was a learning point for me.

And, an edit to add my current favourite quick, easy backdrop; mount board. I go for the light, pastel and neutral colours. They wouldn't be large enough for a full body of a 70cm doll, but are plenty for a head and shoulders or full body of a 45cm doll.

 

^ great tips on the lighting, and the shadows (I wish I'd learned that earlier!).
I've just got my first printed backdrop through, and think it's going to be good fun (once I've managed to get the creases out, and figure out the lighting)! It's very lightweight and doesn't have the same problems with reflections that I had trying to use posters of photos, so I'm pretty sold, and have just custom-ordered a second

 

Just to add to the above that my 7x5 polycanvas arrived a few days ago, and seems great - I'm very excited about being able to take some pics with the big boys and girls using it

 

will i use a gift wrapping to be as a background i have many of them i just stick it to the wall to create a background and its really so cheap and affordable and you can chose any style colors of ur preferrance ^^

 

MadamMauMau ,Thanks for the tips on the light! Going today to try. Friends tell me that my dolls and my make-up in life is better than on the photo. About the light behind the object you hear today for the first time. I will try. Thanks again!

 

Where did you get screens like these? They're genius!

Personally I've tried gluing lengths of scrapbook paper to cardboard to create a 'room', but it's very flat-looking. I'd love to shoot photos with cute little scenes like how Luts does in their promo pictures!

 

I've seen backdrops like that on ebay from Chinese sellers. There's quite a variety of scenes on offer. Haven't tried any myself, though, so I couldn't vouch for the actual quality received.

 

Ahhh I have to get all these nifty things! I always wondered what people used for black backgrounds and now it totally makes sense that black velvet would be a thing. I definitely like the use of wall papers and wrapping paper for backgrounds. Holiday sales are coming up and those things will be dirt cheap.

For backgrounds, I typically use miscellaneous nooks and crannies of my home. Right now, the fireplace has some great potential since it looks like a gated place.

 

I found that contact paper or shelving paper comes in a great variety of patterns and textures. There are some that resemble wood floors and others that look like real brick. The best thing about them compared to wrapping paper is they have an adhesive (contact) backing.

 

@MadamMauMau your tips for lighting when using backgrounds are very helpful thank you!

 

I purchased a couple of pictures from Shutterstock.com and had them printed onto foam boards with Vista print.
Sorry for using these pics with my Evangelines. Please delete this post if it violates policy in any way.

 

I used to dislike backdrops but after seeing some really nice photos with them, I changed my mind

 

I've started using a science project board with a header strip. It's big enough even for SDs. I can clip fabric along the top or paper backdrops so it's super easy to change up. The header strip across the top is also useful for clipping lights or draping seed lights. I stand it on top of my kitchen table and move that to where the best light is (unfortunately it's in front of the open front door in the mornings so anyone going past can see my weirdness). I also use the side flaps to stand my budget light reflecting things (tin foil over cardboard). In New Zealand that's the kind of thing we pride ourselves on!