I found information about this software in the March edition of Popular Photography and Imaging. There is a demo version so I plan on checking it out. At $199, it could potentially save me money.

http://www.digitalanarchy.com/backdr...drop_main.html

design your own backdrops
Backdrop Designer provides a great new way of creating digital backgrounds for photography and other design mediums. Pick from hundreds of premade backdrops, or customize your own presets.

This Photoshop plugin creates beautiful resolution-independent backdrops, very similar to those expensive muslin drapes you may currently have in your photography studio.

By using our 'Pattern Generation' technology, Backdrop Designer will create a patterned background at any size and resolution. The patterns are algorithm generated, with no limits.

Please keep us posted!
However, for me personaly the biggest problem with the background was never a backdrop per se, but proper isolation of the model/foreground. Especially if the shot involves curly/wawy hair and uneven background.. I understand the idea of the blue/green screen, but, hey, I don't have a formal studio..:-)

So whats more expensive? Buying a muslim and using it for a season, or the time you loose having to go through each picture and seperate the background and putting the other in? Sems to me buying it would be much cheaper for a professional.

Originally Posted by GerryDavid So whats more expensive? Buying a muslim and using it for a season, or the time you loose having to go through each picture and seperate the background and putting the other in? Sems to me buying it would be much cheaper for a professional.

Customers want choices. What if you have only neutral grey/white and the
shoot requires solid blue? I can see how digital backgrounds would help in
this situation. But then you have to set your studio up to make digital
backgrounds work well.

There are other background choices that are less expensive. Like paper. Or
rental.

Ian

Well, I can't tell for sure, but it looks like you need to buy Primatte Chromakey with it? Which is another $299...

Originally Posted by ian408 Customers want choices. What if you have only neutral grey/white and the shoot requires solid blue? I can see how digital backgrounds would help in this situation. But then you have to set your studio up to make digital backgrounds work well. There are other background choices that are less expensive. Like paper. Or rental. Ian

If you have a grey background and a background flood light, then you could have any color of a background you want, just buy some color filters to put over the flood light, and the background becomes that color. I dont know the name of the color geletin filteres, but I seen it used in a portrait lab how to video type thing.

I can see using digital backgrounds for things that wouldnt be possible to do in real life, like a fairytale setup.

To each thier own. :0)

Originally Posted by GerryDavid I can see using digital backgrounds for things that wouldnt be possible to do in real life, like a fairytale setup. To each thier own. :0)

This is the best use for digital. But I'm with you regarding the muslin/paper
backdrops.

Ian