Custom Photo Backdrop Ideas

Whether you’re a professional portrait photographer or are throwing a party, having the right backdrop on hand for your studio or photo booth is important. Matching the theme for a big event, having the inventory of different custom backdrops in your studio to get the shot just right with a client, or creating a fun environment for your company function are just a few of the reasons it’s important to think about the kind of backdrops you decide to get. Here are a few tips for selecting the right backdrop.

Wrinkle-Free

As a photographer, you’re constantly shifting around your studio or moving from location to location. A wrinkle-free backdrop helps keep those backgrounds looking spotless every single time, especially if you already take a little extra care in storing all of your equipment.

Glare Resistent

If you’re shooting with a backdrop, you more than likely are in an environment that requires a lighting setup. So every single photo taken usually has some sort of flash in it. The last thing you need is to get photos back with glare caused by elements in the photo, which in many cases adds a ton of work during the editing process or can ruin photos outright. Having a photo backdrop that doesn’t produce negative results with your lighting setup allows for more creative freedom when setting up a studio or photo booth.

Durable

Like mentioned earlier on, a photographer can really beat up their equipment with how much they use it for shooting. Have a durable, high quality backdrop will help it last for years.

Size

To get a good photo using a backdrop, you usually want it to show around 2 feet on either side behind the person. Choosing the right size of backdrop will depend on how many subjects will be in each photo. This is great information to know if you’re throwing a big party where there might be large groups of people.

Recommended sizing:

1 Person can fit on a 4 foot wide backdrop
2 People – 6′ wide
3-4 People 8′ wide
5-6 People 9′ -10′ wide
8-9 People 12′ wide
10-11 People 16′ wide
12 People 20′ wide

Here is a list of interesting examples and themes to gain inspiration for your next photo shoot or booth. For more great photo backdrop ideas, check out Photo Pie who gave us permission to use all of these images. You can also order a free sample of their high quality products on their website.

Patterns

To bring your photo shoot to life, pick patterns that work well with the client you’re working with and pair up an interesting background with a unique floor mat.