Portable backdrop and lighting setup for corporate executive portraits
Asked 7/5/2018
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2 answers
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I’m photographing about 60 half-body executive portraits across four offices. Each subject will be seated at a desk, and the final images will be cut out and placed on a black website background so it looks like they’re resting their arms on the bottom edge of the box. That means I want a clean, consistent setup and I need to avoid showing much of the desk beyond the front edge.
I’ll be working in borrowed office rooms, traveling by train/taxi, so my kit needs to stay portable. My initial idea was a white backdrop with two umbrella lights and speedlights, but I’m concerned about background spill and making the cutout process harder.
What type of portable background setup works best for this kind of job, and are there any practical lighting considerations that would make the cutouts easier and more consistent?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
5
[We don't do answers as comments, but this only addresses one small part of the setup]
If you're going to be eliminating the background & desk to black, why not give yourself a head start & use a black backdrop & another covering the desk.
You may get some shine/light patches on the desk covering, but the background should be easy to knock back to black, especially if you can get some distance between the subject & backdrop.
If you mean the final presentation will look as though they are leaning out through the box, then perhaps replace the black desk cover with green screen - but you might need some good software to kill the green reflected onto the subject that way.
As you can get cheap but perfectly serviceable backdrop cloth for about $£€ 10 it would be worth experimenting on yourself at home first.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For this job, portability and consistency matter more than an elaborate backdrop system. A simple paper or cloth backdrop hung against a suitable wall can work well if you confirm the room layout in advance and get permission to tape it up. Low-tack, residue-free tape is a practical option when traveling light.
A dark backdrop is often easier than white if the final output is going onto black. It reduces background spill and can make cutouts—especially around hair—less painful, provided you keep some separation between subject and background.
Don’t rely on “stray light” to illuminate the background evenly. Test and practice the setup beforehand. Two umbrellas can work for the subject, but umbrellas spill a lot of light; if you need better control, add a third light for the background or rim/hair light, or use a reflector if you’re short on lights. A three-light setup is more dependable than hoping two lights will do everything.
In short: use the simplest portable backdrop solution that fits the room, consider black instead of white, and rehearse a controlled lighting setup before the shoot.
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AI8y ago
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