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Where to Find Wide Seamless Canvas and Muslin for DIY Photography Backdrops Online

by Learn More Photo 1 Comment

Finding seamless muslin to use for photography backdrops or to dye for photography backgrounds is a bit tricky depending on your location in the world.Here is my resource collection of online retailers to help you find places anyone can order seamless muslin or canvas at least 10′ wide.

I’ve dyed canvas before and it sure was a learning experience but in the end I ordered canvas backgrounds from B&H Photo Video instead of making any more.  Many people are far more creatively inclined or have specific needs – this resource is for you.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: DIY Photography Tagged With: background, canvas, DIY, dying, muslin, online retailer, purchase, seamless, supplies

Rosco Gel Samples Just Arrived

by Learn More Photo 4 Comments

I, along with every other photog-blogger in the blogosphere, has read about using the Rosco Roscolux Swatchbook available free from Rosco (beware I’ve heard there’s a major wait through Rosco) and for $0.01 now $1.95 from B&H to color a background using a flash unit.

Well it’s hard to get a hold of the Roscolux Swatchbook. I’ve seen it sell out on the B&H website in as little as 24 minutes before. Though B&H also has the Rosco Cinegel Swatchbook for the same price, and it was in stock, so I ordered it and got yesterday.

The first thing I did was remove the straight pin holding the samples together and replaced it with a clip I had previously used for embroidery floss. This allows me to remove gels easily while not making a mess of the whole situation.

Accompanying Photographs

Rosco Cinegel Swatchbook Embroidery Floss Ring Cinegels on a Ring

You can pick up a loop like that at any craft store like Joann’s near the embroidery or notions storage section.


I haven’t had a chance to play with any lighting with the gels yet. You know…work…sleep. But I’m excited to give it a try tonight or tomorrow.

I learned about these gel sample packs by reading a post on the Photography on the.net forums, using gels to create colored backgrounds. I was immediately inspired, especially by the photos posted to that thread by curtis N, agent.media and flg8r.

That was when the Internet twisted my own arm into buying the background and stand I did the video about last week.

While waiting for my delivery I looked and found some other good posts on forums about using gel samples. This post started as a question regarding the effectiveness of a colored background and saturation of the color by the gel, and includes a sample photo. Another post about using gels shows sample photographs using models and still life and also shows demonstrations where you can fill the background with the color, or hot spot the color, even a demo that appears to snoot with a color.

I also stumbled across another post where the demo was using the gel against a white wall. Though one response pointed out that using the gel on white has a tendency to reflect back onto the subject which can cause highlights in the hair to become the color of the gel. Not always a desired effect. I’m quite glad I went with the dark grey background now!

I’ll probably be working on a holder tonight, I’ve been exploding a few options:

  • Plastic Sleeve and Velcro – photo 2 – Not a big fan of the idea of putting Velcro on my flash
  • Plastic name tag – Similar to the above plastic sleeve and Velcro, seems promising
  • Mat Board and Clip – I’d probably use a magnet instead of a clip, and I’d use black mat board
  • Plastic as Clips – Appears to work well but I would rather separate the gel from the top of the flash in fear of heat transfer and melting
  • Mat Board and Snaps for Swivel Action – Is a swivel necessary? Not for me. Glad to see magnets work well though
  • Plastic Strips and Velcro – Again I’m not sure about the gel flush against the flash

As you can tell I’m kind-of being a big wussie about not melting my gel to my flash but even if is unlikely to happen I’d still rather use preventative measures.

I’ll post up my final solution I settle with. My guess is it will be a lot like the mat board with clip, except with magnets since they’re way easier to change quickly and if they’re attached I can’t lose them!


Researching these holders was a big help and lead me to request sample packets from a few other companies such as Lee and Apollo Design Technologies. We’ll see how long it takes for those sample packs to come in.

Update: Lee Gels vs. Rosco Gel Swatchbooks

The Lee Gel sample pack came almost days later. And I prefer using the Lee gels because they use larger samples which cover the flash (or my gel adapter) nicer. I managed to get my hands on a couple of the Rosco Roscolux Swatchbook and I see why they are recommended, that book has a wider variety of colors and focuses mainly on gels. Maybe I’ll do a full review of the different swatch books once I get the last one I ordered.

Filed Under: Flashes, Strobes & Lighting Tagged With: apollo, background, cinegel, DIY, Equipment, filter, flash, flickr, gel, lee, lighting, rosco, roscolux, strobist

DIY Canvas Photography Backdrop ($20.34)

by Learn More Photo 7 Comments

I read a great blog entry, on the Strobist blog last month about making your own backdrop by dying a canvas drop cloth that you can pick up for under $10 at Home Depot.

Note: Don’t be scared of dying. This was my first time, and it didn’t hurt.
Though next time I will use gloves.

Since I had to grab silver spay paint and painters tape for update some old lamps that have been lying around the house I decided to grab a 6′ x 9′ drop cloth while I was there. I ran to the craft store in the plaza and bought 4 packets of black Rit dye, then it was off to the house to get to dying.

Dying a Canvas Background Steps

Step 1: Gather Supplies

canvas dropcloth

  • 6′ x 9′ Canvas Drop Cloth be aware many drop cloths have large seams that will show after the dying process
  • 4 packets black RIT dye
  • 1 empty cranberry juice container (for dissolving the dye powder)
  • 1 cup of salt

Yea, about the one cup of salt, I’m winging it here…

Step 2: Pre-wash the canvas

This will remove any residue on the cloth and get the cloth wet as is instructed by the Rit directions. I used warm water and detergent.
rit dye black
While the cloth was being pre-washed it was a good time to dissolve the dye and add the salt to the mix. I used an empty cranberry juice bottle – 8 cups of water (two per packet) was a good fit!

Step 3: Dye it up!

After the canvas was done with it’s first wash I set the washer to warm wash/cold rinse and started it up again. I dropped in the dye mix and let ‘er rip. As instructed by the Rit instructions I made sure to reset the agitate cycle before it got to the rinse/spin. After the machine went through it’s rinse cycle I pulled out the canvas and ran a piece of it under the tap in the sink to make sure it was running clear. It wasn’t so I ran it through another cold rinse cycle. After that it was to the dryer.

Step 4: All Done

I pulled out my canvas and it’s more of a warm/cool almost violet hinted gray. Maybe I’ll dye it again to see if I can get a deeper black. For now though this will be a great out-of-focus background to help make my subjects stand out better.

Total Cost: $20.34

  • $9.98 (6′ x 9′ Canvas)
  • $10.36 (Rit Dye 4 @ $2.59ea.)

Took less than 3 hours from start to finish!

Dyed Canvas Folded Dyed Canvas Hanging

References

  • Strobist: Home Depot Week – Backgrounds
  • Cheap DIY (Homemade) Muslin Photography Background
  • DIY background stand

Next time…

  • Yes, I will be using rubber gloves and checking for a seam in the drop cloth more closely.
  • I’m going to try dying a more earth brown tone as the yellow canvas will probably take that better than the black.

Woot for Plugs 🙂

Lesson as to why you should always give things on the internet a shot and post your results. Strobist Saturday Speed Links 11/17/2007 Cheapo, yes. Spin-offable, definitely!

Filed Under: DIY Photography Tagged With: backdrop, background, canvas, DIY

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