photography background Archives - Keeping With The Times

Photography Backgrounds For Sale

August 13, 2018 by Barb 1 Comment

PLEASE NOTE: to view or order backgrounds please visit my new account barbbrookbank dot com:

Photography backgrounds are something I’m constantly looking for; old wooden doors, rusty metal trays, and recently, even my garage floor! I don’t think a person can have too many photography backgrounds!

However, with my lifestyle the way it is (travelling between two places, always on the go) I was forced to come up with creative solutions … I couldn’t very well carry our garage floor under the front seat on an airplane ;)

So, after much trial and error, I came up with a line of vinyl photography backgrounds which I’m now offering for 4Sale. They’re durable, waterproof, portable, and realistic. Perfect for still life, food, and product photography.

To order, you may email barb@keepingwiththetimes.com, or send a Direct Message on Instagram @keepingwiththetimes or my new account @backgroundsbybarb

Vinyl Photography Backgrounds

The process:

Images (such as wooden doors, cement, etc) are high resolution images, shot with a full size dslr in raw format, edited in Lightroom, and/or Photoshop
A test background is printed on durable vinyl which has been carefully sourced for best results
The actual vinyl background is used to shoot a still life image (most often a flatlay) and if it passes the “realistic” test, it is offered for sale
The backgrounds are durable, waterproof, portable, and realistic; perfect for still life, food, and product photography

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the backgrounds made of?

durable, waterproof vinyl

How big are the backgrounds?

the backgrounds are 20″ x 36″

What is the best way to store them?

lay flat, or
roll loosely and store in the box it is shipped in
roll loosely, wrap with a piece of paper, and tie with a piece of string
never fold your backgrounds! folding will produce creases that may not come out

Are they waterproof?

all backgrounds are waterproof but use caution to avoid spillage and wipe immediately to avoid staining (especially colourful fruit such as raspberries or strawberries)

Are they heat resistant?

no, they are not heat resistant and will become distorted if exposed to heat so do not place hot dishes directly on the background

Why does the colour of my background look slightly different than the background I ordered online?

all monitors display colour and brightness differently
and remember, when you are shooting your own images, different light situations result in different tones: morning light is blue (cool), afternoon and evening light is yellow (warm)

How do I use the backgrounds?

for flatlays, we recommend placing the background on a smooth surface such as a large piece of white foam core (available at most craft stores)
in a vertical image, use small bits of masking tape to secure the background to foam core, and position it behind your scene

Where are the backgrounds created, and where do you ship?

the backgrounds are created in Canada and are shipped worldwide (shipping costs vary)
prices quoted in US Dollars
in Canada and the US, up to three backgrounds may be shipped together with no extra shipping charges
packaged using a strong, Canada Post-approved shipping box and label
shipping is by Canada Post and is Expedited and Tracked

How do I Order?

To order, you may email barb@keepingwiththetimes.com, or send a Direct Message on Instagram @keepingwiththetimes or my new account @backgroundsbybarb

What form of payment do you accept?

PayPal

Refunds/Returns

no refunds or returns (please examine background carefully before purchasing)
in the unlikely event that the background is damaged in shipping, please contact us within 3 days along with photos and description of damage

Photography Backgrounds and Light

February 9, 2016 by Barb 5 Comments

Today I want to talk a bit about photography backgrounds and light.

For the past 2 1/2 weeks, we’ve been spending time in our Arizona home-away-from-home and I’ve been struggling with the colours in our condo. I love them in real life—yellows, golds, and rusts. But I don’t like those tones in my still life images.

I’d set up a still life, take a shot and when I edited it in Lighroom I would desaturate the yellows. I would then end up with a photo that was flat and dull. It became obvious I needed to do something to make my life easier (I’m going to explain and demonstrate how I made these background(s) in a later post).

I was inspired by the lovely Cristina Colli when she shared a tutorial on how she made her own photography backgrounds. I can spy a Cristina shot a mile away … each one is beyond amazing, and she is brilliant. You may already follow her on Instagram @c_colli.

So here is my version of a faux painted backdrop … I’m quite thrilled with it! If it hadn’t been for our yellow and gold walls here in Arizona, I may never have gotten around to trying this. However, I can see that I’m absolutely going to need one of these at home as well.

I’m having so much fun with my tulips from Trader Joes! They’re starting to fall apart, so I separated the pink ones into a white vase:

The bouquet started out with what I called “Spring in a Vase” (from Anthropologie, a gift from the hubs).

Here it is on my first, plain white background. I love it as well, and I know I’ll be using it a lot too. However, in this image, I was a little disappointed in the light. It seems great at first, but it’s so bright that the image appears a bit flat. That’s because it was mostly coming straight on …In the following image, the light is coming from the side, and is much more dramatic. I used a Lightroom preset by Kim Klassen, who is also brilliant :) to create moodier, darker tones:

Photography Backgrounds and Light, Keeping With the Times, Barb Brookbank

Lightroom Preset by Kim Klassen kk_Tangled

I have a post in the works on how I created this painted backdrop. Hope to see you again!

Rustic Photography Background

August 25, 2015 by Barb 17 Comments

When shooting still life, I love using a rustic photography background. Therefore I’m aways on the lookout for new and unusual pieces to add to my collection. I have a lot of barn wood in the form of coffee tables, side tables, and potting benches. I use old doors (front and back), and my recently acquired old table, covered in scratches and paint splats. But it seems I’m never satisfied!

So begins my (shameful) story of … dumpster diving … . As we live in a rural setting, we don’t have garbage pickup, and I have to take our garbage to the dump once a week. Well, at said dump, there’s an area called “take it or leave it” and I’ve done my share of leaving (mostly junk that could go into the landfill, but with a little tlc, could be salvaged.)

But on occasion, my eye wanders as I’m dropping stuff off … and one day I spied these … and of course it’s not the poppies … or the books …

Rustic Photography Background, Keeping With the Times

kk_MatterFact

At the back of the building sat a pile of something … something I recognized, but couldn’t quite believe. It was an old Hoosier, falling apart, and not all there. I gasped. I have a Hoosier, and it’s a treasured family heirloom from my husband’s parents. Check it out here if you feel the urge to see what I’m talking about.

With a sinking feeling, I knew in my heart I wasn’t going to be able to drag the whole thing home. I’m not physically capable, my car isn’t big enough, and I couldn’t involve the hubs. On top of that, it would need to be completely restored with new pieces built from scratch … just.not.going.to.happen. What to do.

Well, I knew I could not walk away from the enamel table top, so I sheepishly dragged it to the car and hoisted it into the trunk. This table top sparked a whole series on white enamel #fromtheenameltabletop so I have no regrets about it. I know I’m going to be using it all winter, it’s easy to move, and will work extremely well with the changing light in my home.

After that, I couldn’t stop myself … into the car went all the drawers … the pile was impressive …

When I got home, I washed the pieces, and proceeded to hide them under the deck, all the time wondering what I was turning into … an eccentric hoarder perhaps? During the summer I felt guilt and angst every time I saw the pile … but I knew … I knew I’d be using pieces of it sooner or later. And what the heck, I could always take all of it back to the dump.

So, the background for my images today is metal … a metal drawer and a metal lid. I think it looks beyond amazing, especially when one of Kim’s Lightroom presets is applied. Pure magic.

kk_Truly

kk_MatterFact

My only regret is I didn’t drag home more.

5 Photography Background Ideas

August 24, 2015 by Barb 15 Comments

A great photography background is the foundation of a great still life image. We all use backgrounds … weathered wood, white foam core, or simply areas of our home.

I love to use my mantle because it’s a true part of my life. With it’s white shelf, and the low-key, mossy green wall behind it, it’s the perfect starting point for a great image. There’s also a window to the right which lets in some killer light, especially in the winter.

The pretty “painting” is a canvas I found at HomeSense … it was fairly inexpensive and works not only for decorating my home, it’s the perfect photography background for my beautiful globeflowers. For late summer, I could change up the flowers for green grass, or wheat, or oats, picked from fields nearby.

To give the painting a bit more “oomph” I used a tiny bit of hot glue in each corner and glued it to the wooden background, which is actually a framed mirror. I can easily pop the painting off the wood and replace it with another canvas for a different look.

Here’s another example using my mantle, a different canvas, and some globe thistle (not on wood frame):

So, I’ve been using canvases in my still life images … but the thing is … they’re mostly abstracts which I’ve come to really love. They are also quite inexpensive, and can be used in your home … bonus! When your not using it for a still life, simply hang it in a room somewhere! Our guest bedrooms have never looked so good!

My mantle is simply one still life image after another … changing with the seasons. Even my Quirky Autumn Mantel is a still life in real life.

Here are four more great ideas for photography backgrounds:

This tutorial by Cristina Colli is fabulous! In fact, it’s how I got started on the canvases … and I do plan to follow her tutorial and make my own real soon.
Scrapbook paper.
One of my favourite shoots was done on the back of a cork board … it was all I had at the time.
Breadboards …

So look around, turn things over, look for surfaces that are not obvious at first glance … it’s amazing what you can come up with!

Later this week, I have a photography background that I’ll be sharing with The Studio | Online for the “Stories” prompt. I cannot wait to tell you about it!

I have an exciting new series coming up this autumn and I’m really hoping you’ll join me. It’s going to be quite different and presented in a way I’ve never done before … I’m excited … and scared … more on that later.

Have a wonderful Monday!