Hey Everyone!
This blog is for all of my fellow photographers/artists out there! For years I have been admiring backdrops used by people like Lara Jade, Emily Soto, Felix Knuze etc. I always used seamless, one colour backdrops that I got from Vistek. I still love those backdrops but this year I wanted something different, some different colours and different textures. As a photographer on a budget, I unfortunately couldn't afford the backdrops I long admired once I calculated shipping and the size I needed.
I watched youtube videos where photographers created their own custom made backdrops. I didn't think I could do it honestly. I thought I would mess up and probably ruin it. One day during summer I decided that I was going to try it. What was the worst that could happen? I went to Home Depot and purchased my blank canvas plus some primer. We had a ton of paint leftover from when we painted our house when we first moved in so I just used that. At the dollar store I grabbed a bunch of rollers, paint brushes, mops etc. Anything I could get my hands on that would help create different textures.
You need quite a large space to do this so I chose my garage. First I placed a clear protective sheet on the ground so no paint would transfer to the cement (it did oops! Sorry Dad!). Make sure you water down your primer, I used 5 parts water and 1 part primer to seal the canvas. This usually takes a while to dry so I would do this first thing in the morning (it only takes about an hour to completely cover) then I went about my day. Once its completely dry, put your base colour down. I also watered down the paint. Next I chose a lighter shade of the base colour and used my dollar store brushes to sloppily paint it on. I would go up and down and back and forth. Lastly, I would use my lightest shade and just do quick splatters. After it dried, I couldn't believe I had created my first backdrop. It was one-of-a-kind. It made me want to create more and so far I have made three different backdrops. Each with different colours and textures. With winter fast approaching, I think I'll stick with these three for now and next year create some coloured ones.
Now, you are probably wondering how much this cost. Each backdrop cost me under $100. That may seem expensive but compared to some of the backdrops I had originally wanted my custom made one is substantially cheaper. Plus, there is no other one like it. They are unique. The primer lasted me for three backdrops and I still have paint leftover.
Here are a few pictures showcasing each of my custom backdrops! I have had so many inquiries about them since I posted these pictures so now you can create your own! If you would like a custom one made by myself, send me a message and let me know what design you would like!
Until next time,
Lisa-Marie xo
