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Can’t get to a suitable location for your shoot? Adam Waring shows you how to create a street scene indoors using a printed backdrop
Finding and getting to suitable locations for a shoot can be easier said than done, especially if you’re looking for something unusual or exotic. So if you can’t get to – in the case of our street-themed shoot – Japan, why not let Japan come to you?
With a pre-printed photo backdrop you can transform a home studio into all manner of locations, from forest glades and tropical paradises to grungy backstreets or industrial scenes. These backdrops are usually made from hardwearing rolls of thick vinyl, which unlike paper backdrops can easily be wiped clean when you’re finished.
You’ll need some form of artificial lighting, as well as a backdrop support. A home studio kit, consisting of a pair of flash heads on stands, is ideal, enabling you to construct controlled lighting setups. You could also use a couple of flashguns; but whatever you use, take note that vinyl has a much more reflective surface than paper, so you’ll need to take care when positioning the lights to avoid glare on the backdrop spoiling your photograph.
For our Tokyo street scene we used a low-key lighting setup to create the feel of night time, and asked our subject to dress in ‘street’ garb and pull a series of moody poses – not difficult when the only choice of model you have to hand is a sulky teenager! We also employed a smoke machine to add some extra atmosphere to our shoot. Here’s how we got on…
HOW TO SHOOT A STREET SCENE AT HOME
We went for Click Props’ Urban Tokyo backdrop, and used a backdrop roll holder to secure our vinyl, carefully unrolling it to form a curve where it met the floor. Ensure your backdrop hangs flat – kinks ruin the illusion! We used a couple of alligator clips to lock the backdrop firmly against the holder.
When working with studio lights, it’s crucial that you work in Manual mode. You’ll also have to set the shutter speed below your camera’s max sync speed – this is 1/200 sec on most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, and 1/250 sec on some high-end models. We set 1/200 sec, f/11, ISO100. Taking a test shot without the lights should result in a black (or near-black) frame.
We used a tripod to ensure our backdrop was perfectly framed, and we used the level on our camera’s display to check the frame was level (alternatively, use the bubble level on the tripod), and that no bits of li
