Backgrounds on the cheap!

[rpcrowe]

I just finished making my wife a quilt display board using 2-inch 4 x 8 foot polystyrene insulation board and while I was doing so, I thought that these boards would make great backgrounds and/or reflectors for folks who have the space to store and use them. I guess that I am not the only person to have this idea...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1S4wjXM6_U

The insulation boards that I used came from a Lowe's Home Improvement Store but, Home Depot and just about any place selling construction materials should have them.

The boards that I used are aluminum on one side and white (with a printed plastic material) on the other side. This plastic is a moisture barrier when using the boards as insulation in buildings and can be carefully peeled off to reveal a flat white surface. This gives you a double sided reflector...

The boards can be painted with flat paint of various colors for use as backgrounds and can be cut in half to make a more easily handled smaller background or reflector. You can also cut these in a circle to use as a reflector that will provide round catchlights.

The boards can be fastened to any light stand with clamps or the full size boards can be used with cheap shelving L brackets as feet to make a free standing unit.

As I said, you need a large space to use and store these boards but, if you have the room, they are a neat way to get reflectors and backgrounds on the cheap...

I didn't use Gaffer's Tape to bind the edges and make hinges for the foamboard, instead I used Gorilla Tape to fabricate my wife's quilt display board. Gaffer's Tape is great when you want a tape that you can remove without leaving any residue but, for permanent use Gorilla Tape is more secure, comes in several colors - including white, black and silver and at about $15 USD a roll for the 3-inch tape (actually 2.88 inches), is considerably less expensive than the Gaffer's Tape.

Here is an idea from an Australian company which actually sells commercially made V flats constructed of insulation board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErcEMpon9Kc

Viewing this video, I should think that anyone with a bit of DIY skill could replicate these V-flats that they sell. They could be kept and used in a smaller space that the full size 4 x 8 foot board flats.

There are lots of other U-Tube videos about foamboard projects. This one talks about the colors Sue Bryce paints the boards for background use...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkezV6lI3qE&t=645s

[royent]

The chap who taught me about photography used to invite any neighbours who were doing any painting to wipe their brushes out on one of his walls. It made a terrific background.
Roy

[rpcrowe]

My wife can paint some lovely mottled backgrounds. However, she hates doing it. When I try to paint them, they look just like spilled paint...

I purchased this low price vinyl backdrop but, have not received it yet!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Folded-Feat...72.m2749.l2649

The seller states that there should be no problems getting out the shipping creases. However, I suspect that in this case the operative word might be "should"... If "should" becomes "could" I might purchase one or two more in different colors...

[loosecanon]

Hang your pvc background vwertcally and leave in the sun, preferably with a light weight pulling down the bottom. Creases will fall out. To store roll them up round a core.

It is also possible to get Tyvek printed with a design or even your own image, for use as a background.

[rpcrowe]

Hang your pvc background vwertcally and leave in the sub, preferably with a light weight pulling down the bottom. Creases will fall out. To store roll them up round a core.

Great tip... Thanks...
I would expect that clamping two pieces of 1x2 inch wood (25mm x 50mm) of the requisite length with the edges of the vinyl sandwiched between at the top and the bottom of the background material might be a way to get it to hang straight without creases.