Surfaces & Backgrounds for Florals

Hello everyone!

Recently, I have been getting a few questions about backdrops and I thought I would make an article on what I use for my still life and macro work. 

I do use the same backdrops for my people portraits but I am going to focus on floral work as I also want to show you the different surfaces I use for my tabletop and flat lay images.

The Backdrops

I will start with my favorite backdrops which I use for the majority of my photographs. 

These are hand-painted canvas from Gravity Backdrops. I was lucky enough to discover this brand as they were just starting and I got several items back when I could afford their prices. I can't now. :(

I love my brown backdrop and the warmth and contrast it provides for OCF floral work. This is by far my favorite and rarely ever comes off my stand.

I also have a gray and green Gravity backdrop.

Here is an example with the gray...

And my rarely used green backdrop.

I recently had to purchase a lighter backdrop for a project and I went with the more affordable Kate Backdrop brand. 

I have owned this brand for a number of years and it is what I normally recommend when people ask about backdrops. They have several varieties including vinyl, canvas, and pop-up but I only have the fabric drops which work well and come in a large selection of prints, patterns, and colors.

Here is an image with the new, light, fabric, backdrop.

The style that I get is the fabric option. The fabric is wrinkle-resistant and looks quite like velvet. 

I really like that this can be used in a multitude of ways-not just as a backdrop.  

I can use it to drape over items and as a surface.

I also have a roll of seamless white paper. This is great to have on hand because depending on how you place the light and use the inverse square law you can change it to white, gray, black, or any other color if you are using gels.

Often, I will also just flip over one of my backgrounds and use the backside instead of pulling out my white seamless.

I can easily add a texture in post-processing to add interest to the back of the backdrop.

 I also own a few Intuition Backdrops.  I bought these when they were on sale but am not a big fan of the material as they tore when my dog walked across it. They get weird creases when rolled up and I have to hang them for quite a while to get them to straighten out. I hardly ever use them but they come in a massive variety of prints, colors, and styles.

Don't be afraid to look into them as they may work better for your shooting style than they do for mine.

You can see the creases on the left side of the image below.

Here is one of my lighter ones, this is the one that I flip over to use the back of when I need a white backdrop.

SURFACES

If I can save a buck, I will. 

I am all about choosing items that can play a dual purpose and when it comes to selecting surfaces I look for things that can serve as both a backdrop and surface.

Baking Sheets

I have some large industrial-sized baking sheets that I was given a few years ago. These work both as a backdrop and a surface. Below, the flowers are sitting on the baking sheet. 

The only thing I changed between the image above and below was my light placement I used my light Kate backdrop for the background), don't feel you need a ton of different backdrops and surfaces for variety. How you use your light can give you many different looks. 

If you are interested in learning more about using your light to add variety to your images, be sure and check out my Off-Camera-Flash courses.

I will also paint and repaint my baking sheets as needed. The image below was painted with acrylic paint and I am sure I will paint over it again soon.

Wooden Furniture

My most used surface is a simple dark brown wooden bench that I picked up at a flea market. It is my most used surface for still life images (and people portraits).

I recently purchased a light-colored step stool to give me a bit more variety with my tabletop photographs. 

I also use it as a...stepstool. :)

I am not a tall person so I am pretty much always needing some more height when extending out my tripod, or changing my backdrops. Again, I look for items that I can use in multiple ways.

Black Foam Board

I have several sizes of black foam board that I can use as a backdrop. It also serves as a flag to control my light placement and direction.

Contact Paper

I have recently started using contact paper as a surface option. I like that this is inexpensive, water-resistant, and rolls up to a small size.

Apple Box

I have a simple wooden apple box that I purchased at Michaels or Joannes. This is a bit lighter colored than my trusty flea market bench and I use it to give some variety to my tabletop still life images. I also use it to store and move various items.

I think that covers most of the items that I use for backdrop and surfaces. 

I also have a stash of fabrics that can be draped over tables and used as backdrops. This is any bit of material that can do the job, from scarves to sweaters and sheets to shower curtains.

Anything in my home is fair game to be used to add variety to my pictures.

I would love to know: 

What is your favorite tabletop surface or backdrop?

What is the one thing that you always go to for results that you love?

Please feel free to share an image of your go-to surface!