How we did it - The joys of a shiny background
On one of my recent craft store scores, I picked up two yards of shiny-shiny vinyl. Sturdy, yet flexible, it would make great wipe-off placemats. I had no idea what it would look like as a background, but one thing is for sure - it throws a lot of light around. Five bucks a yard? Worth a try!
Today, I pulled the plain white background out of the studio box and made a template to cut a similar piece from the shiny stuff, using Velcro to attach it to the box. I deliberately made it wider than the manufacturer's backdrop, so it could be stuffed into the corners - and it did that pretty well. What's more, it reflects the other items in the box and makes a blurry landscape that picks up on colors and shapes. (I definitely needed the diffuser over the LEDs inside the box, or that background would have been nothing but a sea of hot spots.) The stepping stones (wood and fake rock) are from the dollar store, and the crazy arch in the back was a random find in my backyard. Later, I added some fake trees, to hide the back corner. A couple of the trees didn't want to stand up straight, but that just made them look more real.
It was ladies' day in the studio box, complete with dramatic reenactments. The set's still up, and as long as Maxine hasn't knocked anything over, maybe there will be more excitement in the shiny swamp...
