Creating portraits on location using portable backdrops

1 week ago 4

If you do a lot on location portraits, one of the most useful tools you should have are portable backdrops. They will help add variety to your projects and allow you to work practically everywhere. In other words, it’s like having your studio ready wherever you need it!

New to portable backdrops? In the video above, Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens, shares some quick and easy tips on using portable backdrops paired with strobes. As a bonus and to provide context on what you can achieve with this technique, he also included some environmental portraits that showcase the location.

However, there are a bunch of things to keep in mind when working with portable backdrops. Of course, Morgan also covered them in his tips and tricks. The biggest of these is the balance between the ambient light or the sun and the strobe. This applies to portraits with or without the backdrop. Making sure that any lighting doesn’t hit or go through the backdrop is another. Tight shots are also a must with these portable backdrops, so lenses with the best focal lengths for these close-ups are also a must.

Got some tips to add on using these backdrops for portraits on location? Drop them in the comments below!

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Posted on October 10, 2024

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Joy is a film photographer, writer, and visual storyteller based in Manila, Philippines. She is drawn to conceptual portraits and surreal imagery, which she also strives to flesh out in her own work. Her photos have been featured on Flickr and several independent film photography blogs and magazines.

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