Doublehelix
Senior Member
I did a couple of different forum searches, but I received so many hits, that after about 10 pages of reading on each search, I gave up and decided to post a new question.
I am looking for some digital background collections, and was hoping for a few recommendations. I have about 30 or 40 images that I have collected over the years, and then a few that I have shot myself (clouds, seascapes, sunsets, etc.), but I am looking for a high-quality collection that is available commercially.
These are to be used for portraits, so I am looking for some abstract backgrounds, curtains, etc., but also some outdoor and indoor backgrounds (bricks, diamond plate metal, lightning bolts for sports images, etc.). Things like replacement skies would be nice as well, but I do have quite a few of those. I also use some cloud brushes (and lightning brushes) for small touch ups or special effects.
I found this place:
http://www.photobacks.com/
and I loved the Sports package, although I do not specialize in sports shots, I do seem to get a fair amount of sports work. I like some of these, but have never heard of the company. Any thoughts on their quality, resolution, reputation?
I also found this site:
http://ezbackgrounds.com/home/index.php
Not sure that these guys exude the quality of the previous site, but maybe I am wrong. Has anyone used them before?
Then of course we get to the DIFFICULT question of whether I should consider a digital subscription or buying one background at a time as needed versus purchasing a collection. I can certainly see the merits of the subscription-based model, but I find it difficult and time consuming to peruse, download a sample, try it out, and then go back and try another one, etc. Somehow having a collection saved on my HD seems like a better way to go in some regards. If nothing else, a large local collection will let me find something "close", and then I can always go out and search for something else specific and download/pay for the one-offs as needed at a place like Shutterstock.
Any recommendations or help with either a collection or a subscription-based solution would be greatly appreciated. I am shooting a D800, so I need a collection that is fairly hi-res.
Thank you!
--
James
I am looking for some digital background collections, and was hoping for a few recommendations. I have about 30 or 40 images that I have collected over the years, and then a few that I have shot myself (clouds, seascapes, sunsets, etc.), but I am looking for a high-quality collection that is available commercially.
These are to be used for portraits, so I am looking for some abstract backgrounds, curtains, etc., but also some outdoor and indoor backgrounds (bricks, diamond plate metal, lightning bolts for sports images, etc.). Things like replacement skies would be nice as well, but I do have quite a few of those. I also use some cloud brushes (and lightning brushes) for small touch ups or special effects.
I found this place:
http://www.photobacks.com/
and I loved the Sports package, although I do not specialize in sports shots, I do seem to get a fair amount of sports work. I like some of these, but have never heard of the company. Any thoughts on their quality, resolution, reputation?
I also found this site:
http://ezbackgrounds.com/home/index.php
Not sure that these guys exude the quality of the previous site, but maybe I am wrong. Has anyone used them before?
Then of course we get to the DIFFICULT question of whether I should consider a digital subscription or buying one background at a time as needed versus purchasing a collection. I can certainly see the merits of the subscription-based model, but I find it difficult and time consuming to peruse, download a sample, try it out, and then go back and try another one, etc. Somehow having a collection saved on my HD seems like a better way to go in some regards. If nothing else, a large local collection will let me find something "close", and then I can always go out and search for something else specific and download/pay for the one-offs as needed at a place like Shutterstock.
Any recommendations or help with either a collection or a subscription-based solution would be greatly appreciated. I am shooting a D800, so I need a collection that is fairly hi-res.
Thank you!
--
James
Last edited:
