Photography question

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I see a gray to white photographic back ground some of you use. Can you tell me where they come from.
faust

[Jim Underwood]

You can get it by the roll from photo supply stores.
But they usually want to charge you for a great big roll of the stuff.

I think it would be easier and cheaper to go down to Kinko's Copies with a digital image file of a greyscale gradation from light to dark and get them to print it out on some bigger paper.

I just haven't done it yet...

[Jamie Donaldson]

Those gradient backgrounds are available from several sources (like bhphotovideo.com), but they are rather expensive and easily scratched. For a turning that has a dark top, like a black finial, the black with a dark background causes the image to lack contrast and definition, the top blending into the background. That's why for a universal background I use a white vinyl window shade, then a graduated background can be added with a software modification should it ever be wanted, and the pricey gradient backgrounds also don't fit the phrugal photo budget!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Jamie,
Are you telling me someone who is good with Photoshop (my daughter) can actually alter a white background?
faust

[Jamie Donaldson]

If she's an experienced Photoshopper she can create a zebra background if you want!

[John Beaver]

Photoshop is so good it will even remove the bowl and fill in the background...if you wanted to.

[Allen Howell]

I tried the FedEx/Kinko's route. Didn't work for me, because their plotters are not inkjet. In other words, even though my file was a perfect gradient, there were lines or striping on the output. I was really disappointed and they did not make me pay for it. They were as helpful as they could be, it was just that their equipment isn't geared for that type of output.

The company where I used to work had inkjet that would work, but I don't have access anymore.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Thanks. I will just use the white background and ask her to do some magic. Now, how about lights. Will the Borg variety of compact florescent be suitable lighting?
faust

[Nate Davey]

I have that file in a JPEG so you can print if off yourself for smaller sized items. PM me your email address and I can email it to you

[Tim Thiebaut]

I think the majority of folks here use #39 from here....

http://www.phototechinc.com/graduate.htm

I know its the one John K., myself and many others use...

[robert raess]

I have seen those portable tents at AAW symposium's with i think 4 sides, for taking pic's. Are these tents typically gradient #39?

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Robert,
The tents are a cube of white nylon and made to diffuse the light. The gradient is a background that goes from one intensity of a color to another. An example would be gray to white and all shades in between. You would put the gradient behind the subject as a background. The tent cubes come with either no background or some have a three solid colors, none of which are useful to us.
faust