Lastolite Urban Backgrounds

These could be a great addition to any photographers armoury - Urban BackGrounds. I particularly like the brick.grey stone. Certainly would save having to tour about to find a suitable location for a shoot with a suitable background.

http://www.lastolite.co.uk/urban-collapsible-15-x-21m-red-brick-grey-stone

I think they look ridiculous I'm afraid

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

I'm with Ken.
Remind me of that horrible stone cladding that was in vogue back in the sixties
Dave.

You would also have to make sure the lighting of your model matches that on the stone cladding

I see they show an image of one with a subject in front of it - maybe you can buy this one and then you wouldn't need to find a subject either:

Sorry only joking - I can see why they would appeal to some and may be useful in some circumstances but for me it would take the fun out of finding an interesting real stone backdrop


Carl

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No matter how many lenses I have owned - I have always needed just one more

Regardless of how they look I can see some benefit in having a different background from just black or white if you're limited to shooting indoors or in a studio.

However, at £165 I just cant see it being value for money. If a portrait photographer started to use this than all his photos would look the same. At least with black or white you can use gels, backlights or distance to make them look different.

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CaptureLight Ltd
flickr
"I carry a camera to capture memories and the occasional photograph worthy of sharing"

My thoughts entirely but it is a laugh getting them back in the bag!

I used to make the Party Political Broadcasts for a British political party and I bought a couple of the hand painted and tie dyed ones in the party's colours to stick behind talking politician's heads. They worked well totally out of focus wide open on a long lens with the head as far away from the background as possible. On one occasion the party leader insisted on making another brioadcast three days before a general election, try finding a TV studio - impossible! He said he had wanted to be filmed outside Edinburgh castle, again impossible at the drop of a hat. I told him my Lastolite backgrounds had been specially commissioned and hand painted in his party's colours by an artist. He was very happy.

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

But I can imagine someone walking into a portrait studio and loving these. If I were in that line of business I'd be happy to have them to hand.

Remember, this is the Instagram generation who think blurry black and white is 'cool'.

And you could always get your local Bansky to 'improve' it.

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My Photobucket

I'm not of the Instagram generation but of a generation who spend a fortune on lenses because they think blurry black and white is 'cool'

However if your theory was to pay off then my my local branch of Banksy of Scotland might be happy.

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

Banksy is a genius. Some of his or her's work would make some superb backgrounds & settings for portraits etc. Maybe there is a market for "Banksy Backgrounds Ltd"

I have three Banksys. Maybe I should go into business.


They're are only small one's though so wouldn't work very well really

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[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283

Also reminds me of Something you'd get in those hideous Olan Mills Family Portrait studios.

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[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283

Don't talk to me about Olan Mills.......Terrible set up, conveyor belt photography. We had a family portrait done there many years ago. Hateful place. Thank god it is no more in the UK.

AS for these back drops, I think I prefer going to Castlefield in Manchester and you are undercover due to the viaducts. It is real rather than fake.

Boy am I cynical at the moment.....

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Some Cameras