We’ve compiled a list of 14 of the best photography backdrops and backgrounds to use. They range from muslin backdrops to collapsible backgrounds. And these products are sure to give your photos a new level of professionalism. Our top pick is Newer’s classic white backdrop. It’s light, portable, and easy to set up. It’s a good investment! [Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
What are the Best Photography Backdrops?
You’ll find a photography backdrop in every photo studio you go into. It doesn’t matter what type of photography they practice, whether it’s fashion, close-up portraits, or animal photography. They’ll have a backdrop of some kind among their studio equipment. Most photography backdrops are white, which gives you the most freedom as a photographer. A white background lets the subject pop without distraction. It also makes editing and post-production much easier. You can easily change the color of a white background by changing the lights. If you use colored light filters, the white background will adopt the color of the lights. And most are non-reflective for flash photography. But they’re not always white. Some photographers prefer colors—often blues and greens. And sometimes, they’re not just a single color. You can get patterned backgrounds, like brick walls or cityscapes. Blue and green chromakey backdrops are used for adding visual effects in post-production. They are used the same way a green screen is used in modern filmmaking. Here’s a quick rundown of our top photography backdrops and backgrounds.
The Best Photography Backdrops and Backgrounds
Every studio photographer needs a good photography backdrop. It helps with headshots, commercial or product photography, or fashion photoshoots. And it gives you the professional edge you need to succeed. Here are the best photography backdrops in detail. There’s a backdrop for every photographer, so we’re sure you’ll find the one you need. The Neewer studio backdrop is a 6 x 9 ft polyester sheet, perfect for photography and video shoots. Its size and strength make it ideal for any studio photography. For all kinds of photography, Neewer has you covered. Its size gives you a lot of creative freedom. It allows you to get a variety of angles without exceeding the boundaries of the background. And once you detach it, it can be folded and stored in a small space. It’s also easy to carry to other photo studios if you work far away. The anti-wrinkle polyester fabric is durable and machine washable below 40 C (104 F). Once it’s unpacked, it’s ready to use. You don’t have to worry about dirt and stains after a hectic day in the studio. The Neewer collapsible photography backdrop is a good-value buy. But you have to buy the backdrop stand separately. Once you have a solid stand, you can buy different-colored Neewer photography backgrounds. The Fovitec pop-up is one of the best photography backdrops you can buy. It’s great value for a 5 x 6.5 ft (1.5 x 2 m) portable backdrop. And the set includes a size-adjustable stand for extra stability and versatility. The Fovitec is reversible, with white on one side and black on the other. It’s easy to switch, giving you excellent flexibility while shooting. The telescopic stand reaches 7.6 ft (2.3 m) at full extension. It gives you a lot of creative control to get the shots you need. This backdrop makes portraits, fashion photography, and even vlogging easy. The steel spring frame gives you durability while allowing a fast setup and takedown. It’s a collapsible backdrop. So you can store it in a small space, and it’s easy to transport. The Fovitec gives you a quick-and-easy studio setup even if you don’t have a permanent studio space. The build quality is excellent and great value for your money. The Manfrotto collapsible backdrop is perfect for photographers who travel for work. It’s a lightweight, collapsible backdrop that’s easy to transport. When unpacked, the backdrop measures 5 x 6 ft (1.5 x 1.8 m). This is big enough for most portraits and headshots. If you need more height, its lightweight construction makes it easy to lift. The Lastolite is a black and white double-sided background. This gives you lots of versatility when you’re out on the job. You can change backgrounds by simply turning them around. It’s made with a highly durable and crease-resistant fabric. The fabric is smooth and clean even after being folded up for long periods. Unpack it, and it’s ready to use. The outer frames are steel, and the fabric is securely stitched. It’s a durable design with reliable construction. The Lastolite isn’t the cheapest backdrop on the list, but there is quality in the build. The Lastolite by Manfrotto is one of the best collapsible backdrops you can find today. It’s portable, collapsible, and reliable. There’s a price to pay, but this backdrop is worth it. This solid-black backdrop by Kate is ideal for any studio photographer. While white backdrops are the most common in photography studios, some photographers find white too bright and garish. A black backdrop helps you create warmer scenes and richer tones. The main backdrop is made from strong microfiber material. It’s durable and strong. But it’s also soft to the touch and easy to fold away. That makes it easy to store and transport for location jobs. There’s no gloss to the black microfibers, which means there’s no glare or reflections. You get a deep black background for your images. And the shallow-wrinkle material gives you a smooth backdrop for every photoshoot. The measurements of 5 x 7 ft (1.5 x 2.1 m) allow you to shoot full-body shots and wider scenes. This helps to move beyond basic headshots and close-up product photography. You have much more room to maneuver. There are also eleven other colors to choose from. And it’s incredibly good value for a top-quality photography backdrop. If you’re bored of white backgrounds and want something a bit different, there are some exciting options from Kate. This collapsible backdrop is reversible, offering a grey and teal option. (And there are many other different style-and-color combinations by Kate to choose from.) The Kate backdrop is 5 x 6.5 ft (1.5 x 2 m). This makes it perfect for single portraits and product photography. Its collapsible design makes it easy to store. And when you need it, it pops up in seconds! It’s lightweight and has shoulder straps, making it easy to carry to your next shoot. So it’s great for photographers that travel from place to place. Both the grey and teal have a stone effect, which helps to mute the background in your photos. It gives a deeper finish to fashion and portrait photography. It’s an interesting change from the basic white backgrounds. Kate makes high-quality photography products. And this reliable pop-up backdrop is no exception. If you’re looking for a non-white option, this is an excellent choice. Colorful backdrops are fantastic. They can add a bright, bold, and exciting aspect to your studio photography. And this LYLYCTY purple (lilac) backdrop is an excellent choice for colorful photoshoots. The non-woven fabric gives you a soft yet colorful background. It doesn’t wrinkle easily, which gives you a flat, colored background. And it’s easy to remove any marks if you’ve had it in storage or packed away on long trips. It’s also lightweight and easy to stow away if you need to travel with it. The large size gives you excellent shooting options. You can shoot wider, environmental portraits. And it’s ideal for full-body shoots in fashion photography. You can also use it for wedding photography. And the purple option is great for child photography. If purple isn’t your color, you can go for something different. LYLYCTY has a fabulous selection of colored backdrops available. You can choose whichever suits your needs best. The Julius Studio backdrop is a professional-standard photography background. It’s suitable for all types of studio photography. And the larger size makes it great for group shots and family portraits. It measures 10 x 20 ft (3 x 6 m) of pure white muslin, making it perfect for larger studio spaces. Each end is looped so you can easily attach it to the crossbar of the backdrop stand. The chromakey backdrop is perfect if you want to use digital effects in post-production. It becomes a blank canvas on which you can add your effects. And it works well with photography and videography effects. The fabric is durable, with carefully crimped edges to prevent tears. You can wash it by hand or in a machine. And a steam iron removes any creases, giving you a smooth background. The stand is not included. But for the price, you get an excellent value backdrop for photos and video shoots. If you need an extensive background, the Julius Studio Chromakey is one of the best photography backdrops. Savage produces excellent photography products, from screens to reflectors. So Savage’s seamless paper backdrops are some of the best in the business. This option from Savage is 9 x 36 ft (2.7 x 11 m), so it’s big enough for any studio photography you can throw at it. It rolls up neatly, allowing you to adjust the length easily. Savage offers many colored backdrops (in different sizes). But we’ve gone with their fashion grey for our list. It makes for an interesting change from plain white. And, as you can guess from the name of the color, it’s designed with fashion photography in mind. The seamless paper has a non-reflective surface. You can use flash photography and studio lighting without any concerns. If the lower section becomes damaged or dirty, you can cut it off. Then you can roll yourself a new section. And you don’t need to worry about waste as the paper is 100% recyclable! The price may seem a little steep for a roll of paper. But it is specially designed for a photo studio environment. The Savage seamless paper has proven to be one of the best photography backdrops. Neewer has one of the best options for those looking for chromakey backdrops. This Newer backdrop is reversible and collapsible. It’s both easy to use and easy to transport. And it comes with a handy carry case. This Neewer set gives you a green screen on one side and a blue screen on the other. The chromakey colors make adding effects in post-production simple and easy. And with blue and green options, you can switch between the two to find what works best. The backdrop is 5 x 6.5 ft (1.5 x 2 m). So you can achieve full-length portraits and product shots. It’s collapsible, and you can throw the straps over your shoulder, making it easy to carry to your next shoot. This is the perfect backdrop if you like vlogging. And it gives you incredible creative background options if you’re a live streamer. The backdrop makes it easy to change the background to suit your streaming topic. That could be computer games, fashion, or travel. You can buy the backdrop on its own. But we’ve listed the option that includes a telescopic stand. The full set gives you a great-value, portable studio. The UrcTepics backdrop is exactly what you need for professional portraits and headshots. The textured blue color is classy and sophisticated yet subtle and understated. (There are other UreTepics styles and colors), You can use it for business headshots, professional portraits, and headshots for actors. The 5 x 7 ft (1.5 x 2 m) measurements give you plenty of room to work with. You can shoot tight portraits or broader full-body shots. You can also opt for one of the larger backdrops if you need more surface area. The biggest one measures 10 x 20 ft (3 x 6 m). The polyester microfiber material has good wrinkle resistance, so you always have a smooth background. It’s also a non-reflective material, so you get no glare when using studio lighting or flashes. It’s a washable backdrop that lasts long, even with heavy usage. You can fold it away for storage. And you can use a steam iron to remove any creases if you’ve had it packed away for a long time. It’s a worthy investment for your photography studio. A black backdrop can be dramatic. They can give your photography a punch you can’t get with white. And Julius Studios’ black backdrop is one of the best for studio photographers. These muslin backdrops measure 10 x 10 ft (3 x 3 m), giving you plenty of room to work with. The weave of the black material is robust and reflection-free. It’s machine washable, and you can remove any post-wash creases with a steam iron. The hooped rod pocket makes mounting and dismounting quick and painless. And, because it folds away, you can take this black option to a studio with a white backdrop. Switching between the two takes no time at all. The Julius Studio black muslin backdrop is excellent value for money. It won’t disappoint professional photographers. The Impact super-collapsible background is simple but effective. And you get a lot of material, measuring 8 x 16 ft (2.4 x 5 m). Impact gives you three color options. There’s a white, black, and chromakey green screen for post-processing effects. The collapsible backdrop folds into a small carry case. It takes no time to take down and even less to set up. And it’s one of the lightest portable backdrops on the list. The white gives you the perfect background for portraits, groups, and product photography. It’s also ideal for shooting films and live streams. This isn’t the cheapest backdrop on our list. And after a few shoots, the wrinkles can become visible. But it’s still a good option for photographers needing a portable studio background. LYWYGG has a great selection of scenic backgrounds for photography and video recording. There are plenty of designs to choose from, but their autumn scene is our favorite. We admit these backdrops are a bit niche. An autumn wood isn’t exactly versatile. But if this is what you need, you can’t go wrong with what LYWYGG offers. The 8 x 8 ft (2.4 x 2.4 m) size gives you a fully immersive background effect. You can buy different designs and swap them over as you wish. They are excellent for family portraits and school photos. The themed backdrops aren’t for everyone. But the thin vinyl is durable and lightweight. So you can reuse it year after year. This is another niche option from LYWYGG. This time it’s a 8 x 6 ft (2.4 x 1.8 m) imitation wood board backdrop. It’s not for everyone. But this smaller backdrop is perfect for product and commercial photography. You can also use it for themed portraits and close-up photography. It comes in a roll, making it easy to attach to any backdrop stand with a crossbar. It takes no time to put it up or take it down. If you have a few different themed backdrops, you can have a lot of fun swapping and changing. It’s a niche backdrop option, and its appeal is limited. But the LYWYGG backdrops are good value and fun. Buy a couple of different designs and play with them in the studio!
Conclusion
The best photography backdrop is the Neewer collapsible white backdrop. This product offers a simple and affordable way to create stunning photos with a professional look. It is easy to set up and can be used with various lighting setups. And it’s a good investment for any studio photographer!
