The Amazing Portable PVC Backdrop

Well, kids, here it be. Not having a studio can be a real pain in the patoot, especially when you're trying to do portraiture and don't want your living room as a backdrop:). I got the original idea from one of the Pro-Lighting series of books, a great series, by the by. One of teh photographers featured used foam-core boards pinned together to seperate his models in outdoor shoots- so i started thinking. The end result was pretty simple to put togther, and cheap. The PVC framework lets you select your background material, my fav being king-size sheets and black PVC drop cloths. Here's what ya need and what ya gotta do:

PARTS:(Whee! A trip to Home Depot!)

• 1 inch PVC pipe: (4) 7ft sections,(2) 5ft sections, (2) 4ft sections
  (this comes in varying lengths, so get what ya need and cut it down)
• (2) 4ft sections of threaded sprinkler pipe
  (this is dark grey, and found in the pool/sprinkler section.It's a lot more rigid than
  the PVC, and provides more stability)
• (4) 90 degree angle 1in PVC couplers
• (4) 3-way couplers:90 degree 1in to 1in with 1/2 in threaded connection
• PVC Glue

TOOLS:

• Something to cut the pipe to length, I used both my leatherman wave and an actual power saw, take yer pick:)
• Tape Measure, to like, measure.

DIRECTIONS:

This is really easy, honest. Cut the pipe to fit. Make the side panels by attaching 2 of the 90 degree couplers to a four four section o pipe. Then take one of those sprinkler pipes, screw a y- connectore on each end, and align the connectors so that their point all the same way. If you need a picture, go sniff the glue, cause this is too much for you. Pop the 7ft sections of pipe intp the connectors, the cross-bar with the sprinkler pipe on top. Repeat, and pop the five foot sections in the remain connectors. Boom, yer done. Glue the connectors on the sections that you don't want to break down-i've glued the connectors to the cross bars, and left the rest unglued so I can take everything apart easily.

NOTES:

You'll notice that there isn't any support on the bottom of the unit. This is intentional, even if it makes it less stable than if all the sections were joined. This way I can use seamless paper as the back wall, and use the sides for that nift Avedon black bounce effect--which i actually haven't done yet, but i _could_, ya see:) Plus, as is, it's stable enough for indoor use, even when i put my light bars on top.

Like I said earlier, I mainly use bedsheets for the background--white cloth being white cloth after all. I've found that hand clamps and reusable tie-wraps are a godsend:) Black PVC drop cloth, the kind you get at home depot or kmart, is great, it's got grommets or adhesive strips so you can hang it from the frame. This gives you a light-proof barrier that keeps background lighting from intruding into yer shot.

Hey-- if anyone actually uses this, gimme a yell- I'd like to know if it's of any use:)