are foam boards ok for making a black backdrop?

[jj74e]

I want to do some portraits (although they might go full body) with a black background.

i was thinking about buying a bunch of black foam boards since they're matte, don't reflect light as far as i'm aware of, and don't bend or crease at all.

it's not professional, it's just for fun.

will it work? or should i stick with fabrics, and if so, which one?

I'm trying to be as cheap as possible since again, this is just for fun but i still want it to look good.

 

[Suntan]

I've done a lot of black background shooting with a $4 sheet from Wal Mart.



-Suntan

 

[jj74e]

thanks, but did you use the flash/shutter speed trick to black out the background? because i'm planning on using flash since i don't own any and am not planning to invest in one.

 

[Suntan]

I don't really understand what you're saying there, but yes. I used flashes.

-Suntan

 

[jj74e]

I'm referring to this:

http://glyndewisblog.com/2010/01/19/the-invisible-black-backdrop-photography-technique/

The reason why I ask is because I want to know if the cheap fabric you used actually turned out that well in itself, or if it only turned out that well because you used the flash technique to completely black out the background (and thus, it wouldn't really have mattered what material you chose)

oh, and earlier i meant i'm not planning on using flashes

 

[PashaPhoto]

as long as you can control spill (grid/flag), those black foam boards should be fine, at least for half body...

--
i shoot glam

 

[24Peter]

The short answer is, if your light is too close, the black foam core will look gray. Despite being "matte", they will reflect some light. If you can turn down the power on your flash or move the foam board farther enough back away from your subject, you can get a black read.

You can make the gray turn "black" pretty easily in Photoshop by selecting the background and using a levels adjustment. Another alternative that I use is to cover the foam board with these cheep black velvet-y curtains I got at the fabric store. Black velvet is usually the most light absorbing material out there, but can be expensive. Fake velvet is usually a cheap alternative. Try a local fabric store or use Joanne's Fabrics online.
--
View my photo galleries here: http://imageevent.com/24peter
Model Mayhem: http://www.modelmayhem.com/93181

 

[Suntan]

Yup, black velvet is one of the best materials for absorbing light. To use it to it's best effect, make sure the fabric is kept tight and facing normal to the camera lens. If you look really closely at the material, the individual fibers should be "pointing" at the camera.

-Suntan

 

[Suntan]

Well, I wouldn't really call that a "trick" so much as just "the way light works."

If you have the same amount of light hitting the subject as the background during a picture, you're going to see the background in the piture as readily as you see it when viewing it normally with your eyes.

If the material doesn't look acceptably "black" when viewing it by eye, don't expect it to look really black in your picture if you aren't doing anything to make it darker in the shot.

-Suntan

 

[jj74e]

Hm...that's weird. I thought I posted a reply but I guess not.

I don't quite remember all I wanted to say, but first, thanks for the replies. Second, recently I've been considering that a white, matte, hard back drop might serve better for my portrait rather than a black drop. Not an invisible white back drop, since I do want light to show up on the background.

For a white back drop, what materials should I consider then? I'm thinking foam boards again, but is there anything cheaper someone could advise me on that would produce a similar look?

 

[jennifer paul]

You can also try some colored foamboards, more glorious with images as background. Last i purchased some pink foamboards from Foamboardsource for white background images, Such a great combination and appreciate able also.