The Drop Shoppe Giveaway!

We have a winner! Scroll to the bottom to see!

The Drop Shoppe (thedropshoppe.com) sells thick, matte, high quality vinyl backdrops in large sizes that are affordable for photographers. You can use these with studio lighting or natural light. Each image is created in Photoshop or Illustrator to be the absolute sharpest possible when it’s printed in large format. Currently we sell two sizes; 5 feet by 8 feet and 10 feet by 8 feet. The 5′x8′ drops are $90.00 and the 10′x8′ drops are $150.00 All prices include free shipping to the continental United States. If you are out of the country you do have to pay shipping, but we work hard to find you the fastest and most affordable shipping solution. Each backdrop has an extra 1/2″ white border around the outside, which is perfect for you to clamp to your backdrop stand. This way you’re not clamping directly onto the backdrop image.

Here we have a simple set up of hooks screwed into the wall, a metal pole and three large clamps holding the backdrop.

There’s a variety of ways to hang these backdrops. You can just clamp them to your horizontal pole on your backdrop stand (with large clamps you can purchase at a hardware store), or you can hang hooks on your wall with a pole and clamp to that. We used the hooks/wall method in our small office since we couldn’t fit my larger backdrop stand in there. A quick Google search will also turn up quite a few do it yourself backdrop stands that you’re able to make at home for very little cash.

We have all sorts of patterns and styles for you to choose from. There’s plenty of grunge, messy paint, realistic background photos, wallpaper, doors, floors and much more. The possibilities for these backdrops are endless. Use them in your studio, use one for the popular ‘photo booth’ set ups at weddings, even hang them outside for big parties or family get togethers. The backdrops arrive in a shipping tube, which we ask you to keep so that you can store your backdrop in it when not in use. The best ways to store these are either rolled up, hanging or laying flat. If you should wrinkle them, usually laying them flat in a hot room or outside in the shade will remove the wrinkles. These also wipe clean with mild soap and water. No worries about that baby or toddler making a mess, just wipe it up!

I’ve also included a size chart for the 5′x8′ drops, showing the size of an adult woman and the size of our backdrops – a good way to show how big these drops really are:

Here’s an example of our backdrops in use! The following photo was taken by Holly McCaig with our Aged Red Doors backdrop.

Another backdrop photo by Chrissy Avila.

The backdrop I want to give away here on Pink Ink Studios today is our Watercolor Whimsy shown above, sized 5′x8′. It’s one of my favorites and works well when shooting just about any subject…from kids to women to men.

Winner will receive one Watercolor Whimsy size 5 feet by 8 feet backdrop with additional 1/2″ white border around it. Backdrops do not come with any kind of rods, clamps or pockets to hang them – you must supply your own way to hang it up. Backdrop will be shipped to the winner 3-7 days after the contest ends.

There are three different ways to enter between now and 8:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 18th – each entry requires its own separate comment:

CONTEST CLOSED! WE HAVE A WINNER! SCROLL TO BOTTOM!

1. ‘like’ The Drop Shoppe on Facebook, come back and post here that you did so

2. post on Twitter (then leave the link here):
I entered to win an Watercolor Whimsy backdrop at Pink Ink Studios by @pinkinkstudios from The Drop Shoppe.

3. leave a comment here on the blog about what your favorite backdrop is from the shop (thedropshoppe.com/store)

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Congrats to Candice Henry! She posted on our blog: “I love the red door. I just discovered these and I am in love.”

Candice is the winner of the watercolor whimsy backdrop! The company will be in touch on shipping to you!

Studio Gear to Go

So you’ve been doing photography for a while now, taking just your camera, bag, and a few small props.  But what if you wanted to take the studio gear with you?  Have you thought about doing that but felt it was too daunting a task?  Well it doesn’t have to be.  Backdrop stands, reflectors, and drops are being made more portable and that means more possible business opportunities for you.  So let’s take a look at some products that will take your studio on the road.

Portable Backdrop Stand – Interfit makes a support system that breaks down and fits into a bag that can easily be slung over your shoulder.  The system consists of two tripod stands with a three-piece horizontal support bar and a travel bag.  Set up takes about 3 minutes.  Other companies that offer a similar setup are Savage, Da-Lite, and SP Systems.

Muslin Backdrops – When you are on the go, having backdrops that collapse small enough to fit into your vehicle are a must.  Forget the bulky, awkward rolls of seamless paper.  Muslins come in a variety of sizes and easily fold up to fit into a small bag.  They are light, too!  The only hitch with muslin is that it does wrinkle.  So steaming them the night before a shoot will help keep them nice and smooth.  And if you pack a travel size bottle of Downey Wrinkle Releaser, you can quickly refresh the muslin once you arrive and start setting up.  There are plenty of places to pick up muslin drops including Silverlake, Denny Manufacturing, and Backdrop Outlet to name a few.

Metal Clamps – Spring loaded clamps with a PVC coated handle are essential for holding your backdrops in place.  When you’re on the go, having 3 or 4 of these in your bag is essential.  These can be found at any hardware store for just a few dollars a piece.

Lighting & Modifiers – For truly portable lighting, you can go with just a flash.  But what if you want the more dramatic, studio look?  You can opt for off-camera flash or you can bring a strobe with an umbrella or a softbox.  One of the most portable softboxes on the market right now is the Westcott 50×50.  It opens and closes like an umbrella which truly makes it easy to fit in the car, unlike my 48″ octabox which I can’t even squeeze into the hatch of my Subaru.  The Westcott can be used with a strobe or with a flash, making it a versatile choice.  Of course, you will need a light stand to hold your strobe or flash, and Photoflex makes a nice selection of these at reasonable prices.  If you choose to bring your strobe instead of a flash, you’ll want to invest in a portable battery pack.  Alien Bees and Innovatronix both offer these.

Reflector – If you are using one light, you’ll certainly want to consider using a reflector to fill in the shadows.  Photoflex offers a lite panel kit that is truly portable.  The one I use has a corded collapsible frame, 2 fabric panels, stand and a carry bag.  It’s amazing how quickly this sets up and it takes up just a small amount of space in your vehicle when it’s in it’s bag. If you hurry over there, it’s on sale right now for 50% off.

So that’s really all that you would need to get your studio on the go.  If you have more room in your vehicle, you can certainly throw in a posing stool and some props if you need them.  Just make sure you leave enough room for your camera! 

Backdrops Outside the Norm!

So, the other week, I showed you how you can use our textures and damask overlays to fake out your backgrounds when using the seamless paper options during your portrait sessions. Now, I want to hear more about what you use! I started looking around online for some creative methods and now, I’m ready to use them all! A lot of times, they can be things found in your own home! Maybe even in your surroundings too. It’s about fine-tuning your eye and noticing what you have or what you could use.

My very first, creative use of something for a backdrop was when I found this gorgeous black and white, flocked damask wallpaper at my Hallmark store. I don’t even think they sell it anymore, but let’s just say I go into Hallmark often to see what’s new to add to my stash. To make it sturdy, I simply adhere it to a piece of foam core board. I can temporarily tape it to a wall, or prop it up behind the person (maybe use a reflector stand or person to help). It’s not large enough for a full body shot, but for headshots or product shots, it’s perfect! Here are some I found on Flickr to inspire you!

Beth Armsheimer & Dyxie (do a search for wrapping paper in Flickr for more!)

A spin off the wrapping paper is upholstery fabric. Go buy a couple yards at your local fabric store! You can hang it via stretcher frames, or sew a hem at the top and insert your own grommets. Heck, why not just go grab some curtain panels at your decor store?

I’ve even gone so far as to buy a beautiful shower curtain from my local bed & bath store. I think it works great and for less money.

Get this beautiful shower curtain from Bed Bath & Beyond here.

Look at rugs & blankets for good ideas as well. Here’s a shot I took of a newborn on a simple rug that we use at the door!

Other clever methods could be something so simple such as a worn and shabby door turned on its side. Just look how amazing this looks in Mika Beth Edward’s photos. Hit up the salvage yards, photogs! Old windows work great too. Oh, and I love how Captured by Carrie used a branch from a tree to hang newborns from. This is just divine! And, it’s free in your own backyard (in most cases).

Then, use some of our awesome actions and textures/overlays to enhance your images! Or, share your images with us and inspire us to design cards and other templates to match!

Now, tell us what you use!

If you have an idea for an article that you would like to write, we pay $50 in store credits for them! Please contact us today at staff@pinkinkstudios.com with your ideas and interest!