paper rolls

This is a photography post.  Be warned!

One of the things I’ve been struggling with is backgrounds.  I have a limited number of props and settings to shoot in … and my own kitchen works for some things, but it’s also dark (black granite, dark cherry cabinets) and makes it hard to get photographs in the evening, which is when I do most of my cooking.

I’ve also loved a lot of the food photography I’ve seen on various sites that have used really vibrant backgrounds for their images. One that has stuck in my head recently was Bakerella’s website. I mean seriously now … aside from the fact that her cake pops are utterly adorable … move past that and see that many of her backgrounds are solid, bright, primary colors. They set off her fantastic creations perfectly. The type of cooking I do might not be suited to magenta backgrounds, but surely I could find something other than my dining table to work with, right?

With that in mind, today I went to an art supply place with the intention of buying some large sheets of construction paper to play around with.  What I found was this:  Fadeless Paper Rolls. They’re marketed to teachers for use in covering bulletin boards and creating displays for classrooms. The rolls I bought are 24″ x 12′ and they’re the perfect size for a tabletop studio set.  I bought 3 different colors (at $2.29 a roll from Blick Art Supply); orange, brown, and red.

I also ordered one of these from B&H Photo: Lowel Ego Sweep Background System, which the 24″ rolls should fit quite nicely. And then I’ll be able to quit using a ChipClip(tm) to clip the background paper to a dining chair.

(Thought I was joking, didn’t you?)

I’m excited about being able to play with these when I have actual daylight to work with – and I can’t wait until the background stand comes in!