If you absolutely hate the plain white background then this content is for you!

I was reluctantly cleaning out my basement… meaning, I went downstairs for 20 minutes then decided procrastination is the answer. BUT, during that almost-half-and-hour timeframe, I stumbled across something that would work perfect for my sons to shoot my airsoft guns at… my old handmade photography backgrounds. That was my “OMG…. I MUST WRITE ABOUT THIS!” moment. So here we go….

I always hated the plain white background. I've always thought it makes images look like "stock photos":

Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with the "basic photo" (and some sites, like Amazon.com insist on it) I wanted every one of MY listings to look “boutique style”:

In fact, I wanted someone scrolling through a huge page of listings to see my product photo and click on it because it looks friggin awesome, regardless of what the product is. So I started testing out different ways to create “Artistic Product Images” (is that a thing or did I just pull that new phrase out of my woo-woo????). With that being said… I set out on a mission.

*hum the Mission Impossible theme song while you read this*

First I tried photographing on rugs, blankets, sheets, outside on tables, inside on tables, inside on a fancy tile… nothing looked “WOW”. I mean, some looked “ok” (at best)...

but nothing was “OMFG!” and I wanted the "Wow-Factor"...

Then… one day…

I went to Hobby Lobby or JoAnns (it was forever-ago) and I saw that they had a Poster Section. I noticed they had some super cool art, like waterfalls and such. It dawned on me that I could totally use posters as backdrops:

However, I soon discovered that I needed to adhere the poster to something to make it last a long time. After a bit of trial-and-error I found the ultimate solution: a poster, adhered with spray glue, to a basic foam-core backboard or plastic board! So cheap. So efficient. Lasts forever!  

It's currently 2020 and here's some of the foam-board backgrounds I made over 10 YEARS ago (they not in very good condition from being stored in a basement forever):

So here’s my top picks for poster styles:

• FOREST (nature: woods, trees, streams, branches)
• TROPICAL (beaches, palm trees, ocean, shells)
• ABSTRACT ART STYLE (colors, fading, blending, overlays)
• GARDEN  (flowers, plants, wooden bridges, trees)
• CONTEMPORARY ART STYLE  (colors, lines, shapes)
• WATERFALL (amazing!)

The second option is something I figured out years later in life, when Amazon became mainstream. I realized I could buy actual photography backdrops really cheap, specifically on Amazon. This is what we currently use because our product videos / photos can be 4 FEET wide. So if you have a mannequin and you don’t want a boring white background, you can grab some amazing backdrops. Here’s the exact ones I have bought:

And so many more!!! 

BUT, If you absolutely must lay the product down to photograph on a table, you still have many options.

You can buy fabric by the yard in JoAnns clearance section, however there are WAY BETTER options!  One way is to buy mega-super-crazy cheap CURTAINS off Amazon. Curtains go to insane discounts when they are sold by the panel and there aren’t any more panels left. Like, who is buying only one panel? US!!!!!

SHOWER CURTAINS!!!!!!!!!! Omfg, these are INCREDIBLE!

Table cloths! I absolutely encourage you to buy VINYL / WATERPROOF tablecloths. I will explain why in a minute in the TIPS section of this post….

The last option is SHEETS!!! A sheet is a massive amount of material, super cheap! Once again, Amazon is a fantastic option because you can find damn-near any color and a single sheet is crazy discounted.

DON’T SKIP THIS TIP!!!: All of your material is going to get DESTROYED. I know, you’re like “Wtf? I don’t sell ink! There’s no reason it will ever get dirty!”... You are sooooooo wrong. We photo and video literally thousands of items a day and our material was getting dusty, dirty, cut, sliced, ripped, stained / transfer stained, covered in fur / fuzzies so quick that I had to buy clear plastic sheeting to go over them! And, you can often watch our videos and see “gunk” on the plastic even though we scrub the plastic every 3-weeks and have to replace it every 2 months! The actual plastic sheeting was costing a fortune at JoAnns so I spent a ton of time searching for a cheap alternative. After a ton of buying-the-wrong-product I found the ultimate solution:

These cheap, crystal clear shower curtains!:

The reason I earlier suggested to get VINYL tablecloths is because you will be able to take a sponge, windex and paper towel or Clorox wipe and clean them off really good! If you go with a vinyl / plastic coated tablecloth you will not need to put down a clear plastic panel on top of it.  

Happy photographing!!