Unlimited DIY Portrait Backgrounds with a 4K LED TV - DIY PHOTOGRAPHY

In this DIY photography video, I am going to show you a DIY Portrait background setup that will save you money and give you infinite creative possibilities?
A portrait should NEVER be about the background, however, a great portrait background can make or break the shot. My favorite solid portrait background color is gray, because with gels I can make it just about any color I want. But what about when you want some texture or design in your background? Sure you can add a new background in Photoshop which adds a lot of time to the process or you can go on location but that puts you at the mercy of Mother Nature.
So the practical question is how many portrait backgrounds can you afford to buy? Hand painted portrait backgrounds are expensive. Printed backgrounds are all the craze right now because they can be purchased for less than a hundred dollars which is very reasonable, but how many photographs are you going to take with the same background? You can vary the look of your hand painted or printed backgrounds with creative use of depth of field and also add colored gels to get variations, but you are limited in options and then you're just stuck with an expensive background that you don’t want to over use.
The Solution is a big TV. That's right - in my case a 65” 4K LED TV mounted on an adjustable stand with wheels so that I can easily move it around. Now before you call me crazy and say this is way too expensive… stay tuned until the end, it's not as expensive as you think - in fact - it has a much higher return on investment than those printed backgrounds.
FULL RES VERSIONS OF THE IMAGES IN THIS VIDEO
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VIDEOS REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO
The Best Color Photography Background For Portraits Is Gray: • The Best Color Photogr...
GEAR MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
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FTC Disclosure: No sponsors have paid for inclusion in this video. At the time of production, I was an Olympus Visionary photographer, a Delkin Image Maker, and TetherTools Pro. These companies provided various pieces of gear that were used in this video; however, all words and opinions are my own, and I was not asked to produce this video.
#diyphotography #portraitbackground #digitalportraitbackground

[@theJoeEdelman]

NOTE - TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS... A few people have asked if this could be done with a 1080HD TV instead of 4K - ABSOLUTELY! Also a few people have suggested using a projector... that is an option but not nearly as practical as you may think. With a projector you will be photographing reflected light and you will need considerable distance between your subject which you are lighting and the background so that your lights don't spill onto the background and wipe out the projected image. I have tried this and it honestly is not worth the hassle in my opinion, It will not work in a small space and is very finnicky at best

[@leftboot13]

Joe Edelman that was the good old days onto some white seamless. Heck I even used an old slide projector with some of my images. But what a pain! The lumens were not there and it was always tough to not blow it out with a strobe.

[@4CardsMan]

Many decades ago, I worked at a small-town TV station. Before color came in, we had a 20 x 25 rear screen on which were projected 4 x5 slides. For a news story, we would start with a rear screen, and at the end of the shot, the director would tell the cameraman to dolly in and the rear screen operator to go void. It looked good, but the studio was about 50 x 100 feet with a 30-foot or so ceiling. As you say, it is hard to work with any projection setup because of the spill from your lights.

[@michaelhains2291]

I have missed the Hows and Whys series, great to see it again.

[@Michael-fw5ef]

You are the Wayne Gretzky of the KZbin Photography World. I am Canadian, so I hope you understand how much praise I am heaping onto you by equating you to our country's greatest athlete.

[@theJoeEdelman]

LOL Michael, while I am not much of a hockey guy, but I actually had the opportunity to photograph him playing against the Flyers in the early 1980's and I am very aware of why they called him The Great One! I am flattered and appreciate your kind words!

[@heed9726]

FINALLY a real pro photographer. You're pushing boundaries, being creative, and doing things very few other photographers on youtube are doing. It can be annoying when every photography is making videos about "increasing your iso to get brighter photos" or what's the difference between 35MM and 85MM. Copycats and amateurs pretending to be gurus. Thank You. Something New.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you HEED! I appreciate the kind words and support!

[@BishopEddie5443]

Who needs to listen to this Nerdy-Know-It-All? EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!

[@LongTimeTTFan]

Brilliant. Just brilliant idea.

[@jimtipton8888]

Always a pleasure Joe and I even learned something! Thanks!

[@garygedyt]

Thanks Joe. The details you provided is excellent and gives enough to get started if I wanted to.

[@simonsmith8783]

This is why I like this channel - really makes me think about how I’m working and generates new ideas. Thanks Joe

[@oscarrs.3923]

GENIUS!!!

[@jaimealves1955]

Just brilliant... as usual!! Happy and safe 2021, Joe!

[@barkyvonschnauzer2188]

Love that idea. Who knew. Thanks Joe

[@sandypapineni]

Fantastic video and awesome creativity👍 just subscribed

[@dgorenc66]

already shared this on the FB Groups ........thank you JOE

[@rvarelagonzaga]

Amazing idea man, I love it. thank you so much!!!

[@ron5984]

This is a great idea, Joe. I will have to give that a go. See you later, in Tog Knowledge. Cheers from AUS.

[@JeremyBOutdoors]

These photos look amazing

[@dance2jam]

Once again, love your creativeness and clear and thoughtful discussion of your craft. You give me hope that anything is possible (within reason). Thanks again Joe.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you dance2jam! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@xcogic]

Love this creative idea!

[@vincentgrady3201]

Joe you are truly the Man never thought about using the tv as a background great idea 👍👍

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

Great video/tutorial, thank you for sharing Joe.

[@BrentODell]

How did I miss this when it came out?! Definitely bookmarking this one.

[@leftboot13]

The TV is a brilliant idea. I use one in my preview room with Proselct to sell images. That is already paid for itself 10 times over. Repurposing this asset when it’s not in use gives a bang for buck 10,000 to 1!

[@garygedyt]

Re-purpose a tv as a actual tv when not in use as a backdrop - nice. :) That just may justify the cost.

[@johnbivins]

love this! Never thought about introducing motion into a backdrop.

[@rjtech1193]

This was awesome. Gave me a great reason to buy a new tv.

[@aeonrick]

Joe! Thank you soooo much for this. Love your infinite knowledge and creativity. Keep up the fantastic work :)

[@mannyd9328]

Fantastic tips with endless possibilities 👍🏼. Thanks

[@mail2nuge]

Genius, ABSOLUTELY GENIUS!! Love it, thank you!!!!

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure Jonathan Nugent! I appreciate the kind words

[@terryjstudios]

Thank you so much! I really miss these videos

[@tanweercaa]

Classic idea, very nice.

[@davidblack2632]

Great creative background idea.

[@peterivarsson9267]

Great Idea, wow

[@ronlemelinphotography]

Wow.... great idea!

[@MichaelBlackIsMe]

Cool idea I hadn't thought about. Thanks for sharing!

[@AmbientNoir]

mind blown!!!! Thanks JOE!!!!!!

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure Charles Richard! Thanks for commenting!

[@scottweaverphotovideo]

Very clever. Thanks for sharing!

[@rgreeneish]

I have a 49” I’ll have to give it a try. Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing.

[@frankburgos5235]

awesome and inspiring... Thanks Joe

[@kevincase5947]

Great idea

[@fmrff70]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try it.

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure fmrff70! I will look forward to your results!

[@ez8308]

Never seen your videos before, but this is fantastic. Thanks!

[@andrehnguyen]

Genius!

[@henrybrylowski1332]

🤔 I love this idea

[@83100eric]

J'adore (I love)

[@MrJueKa]

Hi, Joe, better late than never: I wish you all the best for 2020 :-) as always very creative and inspiring with awesome looking results, what a crazy concept, so far you are the only one with such a great idea, as far as I can tell !!

[@MarioWills]

Awesome video Joe... it's wasn't just about the TV, but really, the creative elements/ideas discussed... Thanks for doing what you do!

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure Dave Williams! Thank you for the very kind words!

[@pictureeyecandy]

Great DIY

[@yogeshphatak9975]

WOW .... this amazing ... @Joe Edelman ... you are amazing at sharing...!!

[@martintolley9234]

Really interesting. This is such a smart solution to a problem; it's essentially a very "simple" idea thoroughly worked through. The essence of creative vision is taking things that don't go together in most people's heads, and showing them that they can and they do. Thanks Joe.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Martin Tolley! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@johncantrell614]

Neat idea, thanks for sharing.

[@tracybumpers7194]

Great idea..Going to try it..

[@josediazh3890]

Muchas gracias!

[@EpicsodeOne]

Bravo, chapeau bas.

[@chelseathompson1897]

AMAZING VIDEO!!

[@vasiliyivanishvili9025]

Hi Joe! Many thanks you for exellent idea of close-up portrait! It's like a greenscreen, but with real-time effect! And special thanks for "tips video" - Short & usefull!

[@pictureeyecandy]

Livescreen?

[@bimalphoto6737]

Brilliant

[@rhcrookstrong]

Great ideas found here... thank you!

[@forbesdreaming]

Freaking amazing 👏 loveeeee this so much. Thank you brotha. 😊

[@a-muse6567]

Very inspiring, Joe! I had wondered about the horizontal banding and I think I understand your answer in the video. Only thing to do is try!

[@johnleighdesigns]

great stuff inspiring

[@JohnTucker]

Joe, this is really cool. Your creativity genes are on steroids! LOL Thanks for sharing!

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you so much John!

[@peacevalleyaudio5496]

Most definitely a cool idea. My wife was just asking me the other day how many backdrops I need since I had 4 more in the Amazon Cart. Thank Joe

[@PumaM90]

I really need to try this 👍

[@noelwhitman1788]

Fantastic presentation and ideas. As usual.

[@metamurph]

the creative master. great concept

[@theJoeEdelman]

Glad you enjoyed it metamurph! I appreciate the comment!

[@simianinc]

Nice. Thanks for the share

[@wolfshader18]

You keep amazing me, great idea Joe!

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Gon Alroc! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@carlachirigos1576]

Just watched your presentation on Christmas Portraits and it was excellent. Thanks for including the link to this and two others on shooting portraits.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Carla Chirigos! I am glad you enjoyed it!

[@FranklinLiranzo]

absolutely loved this video and its content!!! will definitely try this!! thank you!

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Franklin Liranzo! I appreciate the kind words and support!

[@cosmo0080]

so creative

[@theJoeEdelman]

Glad you enjoyed it cosmo ianiro! I appreciate the comment!

[@TheOlandex]

Cool idea! Hmmm... I think I have the perfect opportunity to try this. Looking forward to it.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Awesome Kevin T.! Thanks for commenting!

[@GregWallis]

I've no idea why but I unsubscribed some while ago and have just seen this creatively innovative idea. I've resubscribed permanently. Thank you, Joe, I love your enthusiasm and common sense approach.

[@veselinvasilev9362]

Thank you!

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure @veselinvasilev9362 !

[@VirtualTourPhotographer]

Great thinking 99! Great backlight for some things too.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you! Work Pics 360 Virtual Tours Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ChrisLonsberryMedia]

I've been thinking about this for a long time. The other night, I was sitting at home not doing anything else so I popped off a bunch of selfie headshots (like 150+) in front of the TV. It's pretty cool and I completely dig it. I actually just let KZbin run in the background. I got shots in the desert, the forest, space.. and a bunch of them on a video that just had patterns. I need to figure out how to simulate shots with depth in them for actor and business portraits.. in the studio. To virtually put someone in a location. I know others do it but _I_ haven't worked it out yet. I could set up vflats in the background and bounce lights off them and introduce various elements. Or... I could shoot against a TV and create whatever background I want. I haven't committed to getting the big TV for the studio yet but I think it's just a matter of time. My problem is that it's not very portable. Also.. I'm thinking of 75" so I have some more field to play with. It's not much more expensive than the 65. And.. I normally shoot FF with an 85mm. I need the real estate. :-) Being a student of the house of Hurley, I shoot a lot on grey as well. I'm wondering if this would make white easier. My thought is that you don't have a lot of light splashing back from the TV and that would keep flare to a minimum. I'm big on buttery soft backgrounds but I wondered if you could close up the aperture a bit and bring the background into a little more focus so it's not just color soup. After watching your video, I think that's a 'yes'.

[@mikeosinski50]

Great Ideal, I do product photography and a versatile mixed with a Variety of background is a must for what products I shoot. This is a game charger for me. Dont need a room full of backgrounds now Thanks again Joe.

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure Mike Osinski ! Glad it helps!

[@bretthaddock8954]

Great idea!

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Brett Haddock! I appreciate the comment.

[@thomashenn1568]

Great idea and very good explanation (as allways). And the TV is a super good opportunity when you shoot tethered instead of a Notebook screen.

[@ajaxrodriguez8956]

Amazing results with endless possibilities! Thanks, Joe! I like how you bounced colored light off the reflector to fill in the glasses. I see you have the reflector at an angle, did you also have to position the glasses at a certain downward angle as well? I'd like to learn that technique and add my own flair to it.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Ajax Rodriguez . I didn't have to tilt the glasses down but I did have to look for the reflection to make sure it was covering the whole sunglass - if it wasn't I would adjust my angle or the angle of the reflector.

[@johannamendoza3760]

gracias primera vez q veo ese manejo de la fotografia con el televisor lo voy a poner en practica muchas bendiciones q mi dios lo bendiga saludos desde colombia

[@the_learner12]

Joe, you are so creative. Thank you for this idea. I thought about using a projector but dismissed it. I also dismissed using a TV because of the assumed reflection from the flash, but I guess until you actually try something out (i.e. actually do the experiment and keep changing your variables) to see if works you won't know. This is the solution I have long been looking for--Thank you for telling us about it.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Norm! I really appreciate the kind words!

[@StillwatersFarm]

How freaking OUTSIDE THE BOX is this? Awesome idea--thank you!!

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Stillwaters Farm!

[@StillwatersFarm]

@@theJoeEdelman as a way-older-than-I-out-to-be- beginner, I am always looking for ways to make the most out of my investments. YOU, sir, have given me an idea that I can run with. Awesome content, and you can bet I will continue watching and liking your videos!

[@BBinnu007]

Really great video sir

[@oscarrs.3923]

Hey Joe! Thank you very much for being so generous with your creative knowledge! Do you think I can use the same concept to shoot close-up self tape audition videos (framing from armpits to 2 inches above head)? For example, a blur texture background to create a 3 dimensional feel like a headshot. I have a Canon 77D, what lens would you recommend?

[@TheRileyShot]

Ohhh thanks for sharing mate, not often you can say you have an original idea, but you did it in 2020! That alone is worth a Nobel prize 😂👍👍

[@250GTOAJ]

Very interesting and Thanks for sharing this!

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure Alan Johnstone! Thanks for commenting!

[@stehlealexander]

You are Great for all of us and Olympus

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Alexander Stehle! I appreciate the kind words and support!

[@jeremytrilsbeck2002]

Love the idea Joe, just wondering what remote trigger you use? I've been looking for one for my new em5 mkiii that will just fit in my hand easy instead of using the olympus app on my iphone. Thanks.

[@leumasphotography3669]

Nice! I'd imagine a 4k projector might work well too

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you Leumas Photography ! The problem with projectors is that they are not actually very bright when you consider you would be photographing reflected light off of your background and if you don't have a lot of space to shoot in - the light from your subject will spill onto the screen / backdrop and wipe out the projected image.

[@josejuarez5921]

Thank you !!!!!!

[@theJoeEdelman]

My pleasure Jose Juarez! Thanks for commenting!

[@VTPSTTU]

Thanks for a neat idea! I haven't been able to do enough portrait photography to make investing in backgrounds worthwhile. I had bought a bunch of backgrounds from a guy who was dumping his equipment during a divorce. I've used some of them and could still do more without repeating. At one point, my strategy for backgrounds was going to involve a bunch of sheets of Visqueen plastic sheeting and some spray paint. I was actually planning to make something that would allow me to hang three sheets one behind another about six inches apart. I would then spray paint different colors on each sheet and have an extra flash fire from behind the last sheet to project colors onto the sheet nearest the model. When I got tired of one background, I'd just get out the can of spray paint and modify it a little bit. The whole idea probably wouldn't have worked very well, but I would have had fun. In your pinned comment, you mention using a projector but also mention the problem of dealing with projected light. Do you think that problem would be reduced if you got a translucent material and projected your background pattern from behind the sheet. On a budget, maybe you could get a non-colored translucent shower curtain and project from behind. Most projectors have brightness settings, so you could fiddle with those to produce different effects. You could also blow a powerful fan against the curtain to produce ripple effects. At a slow enough shutter speed, that would give you the blur effect that you like while still freezing your model's position with a strobe.

[@GermanViking]

👌🏼

[@andreynodarse7218]

Great video Joe, like always. Thank you very much. Hello from Moscow. Russia.

[@theJoeEdelman]

Thank you so much Andrey!

[@llew789]

I love this!!! So great and something I have thought about but not really thought it was a serious solution. How much more can you show do think? If you turn the tv sideways could you shoot half body shots?

[@theJoeEdelman]

Glad you enjoyed it Natanael Alfven! I appreciate the comment! A 65" TV sideways would work well for vertical portraits but its not quite enough for half body shots. TV's are getting bigger and less expensive so I am sure that possibility is right around the corner.

[@MMAHypeWatch]

Omg you just shared fire Mr.Promethus.....

[@theJoeEdelman]

Glad you enjoyed it MMA Hype Watch! I appreciate the comment!

[@JulesMoyaert_photo]

👍👍👍

[@michaeld1165]

Dam Joe that's genius! I know you could do that with a projector. But that's way cool! Kudo's

[@mvz]

Why don't KZbinrs ditch green screens and move to 4k TV's? Fantastic advice. 👍

[@ondrejkratochvil4589]

Yep, works nice, this "technique" is used for shooting action figures (for example) for quite some time, it started with PC monitors :) (because smaller TVs/monitors are cheaper :) ) Of course the disadvantage is that you give away the control over ambient via flash (compared to using "material" backgrounds).

[@GONZOFAM7]

What a great lesson. How do you feel about using a projector on a screen instead?