Suitable backdrops for my light tent

gohan2091

Senior Member
I'm photographing jewellery and have a white translucent 80cm light tent/cube. It comes with 4 coloured backdrops that attach to the inside of the tent with velcro. The problem is these are made of thin nylon and don't look good. I'm looking for a suitable backdrop in white and black that I can attach to the cube with tape. The backdrop must extend down to the floor of the tent too. Any suggestions?
 

WayneF

Senior Member
The very best black you can get for this background is velvet. Get a yard of the better "dress velvet" at the fabric store. It does not reflect light. Probably 60 inches wide, and maybe $17 a yard as I recall? There are less expensive substitutes, but you only need a yard, get the best stuff.

Most black cloth or paper does not appear very black when photographed up close. Velvet black will take your breath away. :)
 

gohan2091

Senior Member
Thanks for the tip on velvet, I'll look into it. What about a white background? Can you get such a thing called white velvet?
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Thanks for the tip on velvet, I'll look into it. What about a white background? Can you get such a thing called white velvet?

I don't know about white velvet, but it is not main stream. :) Not anything I've ever heard of, so I doubt it could help.

White, you have to light, to illuminate it to be white. Macro, with the subject on the paper (or fabric) should not be much issue, except the closeness makes the shadows dark. Raising the subject just an inch or two (on a hidden spacer) would greatly help any soft shadows, but compared to a light at say 2 feet, is still about the same distance (still white).

Ideally, we have some distance between subject and background to eliminate shadows on the background.

Black velvet is generally no problem though, subject can lay directly on it, so long as exposure is not grossly overdone.

Switching to portraits, since that is often the major interest, and an easy explanation. If the subject is 4 feet from lights, and the white background is 4 feet behind subject, then background is 2x distance difference, which will be down 2 stops less than near subject, and will appear dirty gray, not white. So what is done is to add background lights to illuminate the background to be at least as bright as the subject. Then it looks very white..

Macro, with subject on the white background generally ought to light well (except the shadows).

Macro, it could be possible to light the white background, from below, to make it even brighter white.


Here is a sample of black velvet, with the subject laying directly on the velvet.

purse1.jpg
 
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gohan2091

Senior Member
Won't velvet hold lots of lint/dirt? I photograph necklaces and chains on a black velvet necklace stand and I have hundreds of tiny white specks. Even with a lint roller and sticky tape, so many remain. I spend hours burning away all the lint in Photoshop.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
Yes, black velvet can show dust. Blank anything probably can. Photograph your black camera or flash up close, and look at it. :)

What I do is a couple of minutes on the velvet, using a couple of winds of masking tape rolled around my fingers, sticky side out, using it like a blotter to pat it down, soaks it away.
 

gohan2091

Senior Member
Ok, I'll try the tape on the finger method, thanks. Sort of off topic but what would you suggest is a good way of making gems sparkle? I've tried a mirror in front of the gem inside a light tent (2 flashes on either side) but it doesn't do as good a job as I have hoped. The mirror visibly makes a difference even before I press the shutter but any ways better way I can add sparkle?
 

gohan2091

Senior Member
Unfortunately I can't use my pop-up flash as my Yongnuo Wireless receiver fits in the hotshoe. I've tried Googling already but without much success. I guess I'll keep at it.
 

WayneF

Senior Member
I don't know what all your gear allows, but radio triggers seems about the last thing that macro could need (just one opinion). You could instead use remote optical slaves, and the internal flash (manual mode) could trigger them all.
 

gohan2091

Senior Member
It's just the way I trigger my flashes off-camera. I always do it this way. I could use the pop-up flash as a trigger, yes, that may work and it would allow me to use my pop-up flash providing it is in the right position. I shoot with a 105mm.
 
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