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gradient paper for photography: best deals?

updated sun 14 jan 07

 

Paul Borian on thu 11 jan 07


i have been searching around for some gradient paper and so far the places
that come up with Google that advertise the best prices don't sound so
cheap to me. Has anyone bought this paper recently and, if so, can you
recommend a good place?
thanks,
Paul

L. P. Skeen on thu 11 jan 07


Paul, have a look at www.amvona.com, and then look them up on Ebay. I
paid HALF on ebay, from the same company, that I would have paid had I
bought the same item direct from their website.

L

Paul Borian wrote:
> i have been searching around for some gradient paper and so far the places
> that come up with Google that advertise the best prices don't sound so
> cheap to me. Has anyone bought this paper recently and, if so, can you
> recommend a good place?
> thanks,
> Paul
>
>

Michael Wendt on fri 12 jan 07


Paul,
You can make your own gradient paper.
Get a large piece of paper the size you
will need.
Spraypaint one end with flat black paint.
Spray paint the other end with flat white.
Where the overlap occurs, move the cans
out further to mist the overlap and create
a grayed area or get an intermediate color
flat gray spray can and mist into the black
and white areas a little.
Look at:
http://www.wendtpottery.com/others.htm
to see if you like the look of the gradient
since that is how I made the gradient paper
for that shoot and it seems to work fine.
Regards,
Michael Wendt
Wendt Pottery
2729 Clearwater Ave
Lewiston, ID 83501
USA
208-746-3724
http://www.wendtpottery.com
wendtpot@lewiston.com

Marcia Selsor on fri 12 jan 07


On Jan 11, 2007, at 10:44 PM, L. P. Skeen wrote:

> Paul, have a look at www.amvona.com, and then look them up on Ebay. I
> paid HALF on ebay, from the same company, that I would have paid had I
> bought the same item direct from their website.

That varitone looked like the big one. I have a big sheet and a
smaller one I use in my ez cube light box.
I get mine from www.porters.com in Iowa.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com

Arnold Howard on fri 12 jan 07


I knew a photographer who used the back side of a sheet of
linoleum flooring as a photo backdrop. He said he could
paint it as often as needed. He draped it the same way you
would photo paper.

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

From: "Michael Wendt"
> You can make your own gradient paper.
> Get a large piece of paper the size you
> will need.
> Spraypaint one end with flat black paint.
> Spray paint the other end with flat white.

Bonnie Staffel on sat 13 jan 07


When I decided to purchase a backdrop for my photographs, I felt that =
the
plastic material would give me a longer life in using it as it would not
wrinkle and spots or stuff could be easily brushed or cleaned off. Now =
that
I also have the cube, it gives me the choice of either blue or gray dull
satin. I have found that the gray produces a very dark upper portion =
and as
the light strikes the "floor" of the cube it lightens up and gives a =
very
natural gradient. I don't use the blue background as it lends an =
unwanted
coloration to the object, IMO. =20

I still have the sheet of plastic gradient material which I use when
photographing my big pots. As I am limited now in available space to do
this, I haven't made a decision of how to handle this big sheet. I have
jerry rigged some uprights on my kitchen table where I have a north =
light,
set up my tripod and also a piece of white foam core for the other side =
of
the pot for reflection. This seems to work well, but I only do this if =
I
have a number of pots to photograph. =20

Seems that a designated place to photograph the pots/sculpture is ideal =
so
that it doesn't encroach on other uses for the space. How I wish

Regards,

Bonnie Staffel

http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council

David Berg on sat 13 jan 07


I don't think its necessary to use the two different
spray paints for a gradient effect. Spray paint the
whole thing the same color ... neutral gray for
example ... and the gradient is made through
the light level dropping off towards the back of
the seamless background. I use sheets of
styrofoam on top of my homemade diffuser to
help mask the light and make the background
darker. It looks gray at the front and gradually
darkens to black at the top (background) of the
photo.

It cost me less than $40 for my photo set up.
That's because the only thing I had to buy that
I didn't already have was the seamless backdrop
and the PVC pipe that I used to make the light
diffuser. I use my halogen shop lights. I hang
the seamless backdrop and drape it down and
clip it to a card table ... or secure it on the floor
for tall items. Its not necessary to spend a lot
of money to get decent photos assuming you
already have a good camera and tripod.
David

David Berg
dberg2@comcast.net
david@bergstoneware.com
http://bergstoneware.com/

On Jan 12, 2007, at 9:44 AM, Michael Wendt wrote:

> Paul,
> You can make your own gradient paper.
> Get a large piece of paper the size you
> will need.
> Spraypaint one end with flat black paint.
> Spray paint the other end with flat white.
> Where the overlap occurs, move the cans
> out further to mist the overlap and create
> a grayed area or get an intermediate color
> flat gray spray can and mist into the black
> and white areas a little.
> Look at:
> http://www.wendtpottery.com/others.htm
> to see if you like the look of the gradient
> since that is how I made the gradient paper
> for that shoot and it seems to work fine.
> Regards,
> Michael Wendt
> Wendt Pottery
> 2729 Clearwater Ave
> Lewiston, ID 83501
> USA
> 208-746-3724
> http://www.wendtpottery.com
> wendtpot@lewiston.com
>
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