Jana Matiscik Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Hi, I wonder how can I reach that shaded background for my pottery photos which I can see in ceramic magazines. Could you help me with that? Thank for all your advices. jana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Hi, I wonder how can I reach that shaded background for my pottery photos which I can see in ceramic magazines. Could you help me with that? Thank for all your advices. jana Jana, just google "varitone graduated background" (without the quotes) for places that sell the graduated background paper. It's expensive and scratches easily. Google "portable lighting cubes" for cubes and lighting that you may be interested in, but much better than a cube is just a white tarp or translucent plastic that you can set up outside (or inside with good lighting) to control the light on your graduated background paper. jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 I get two different sizes of varitone backdrops from Porters.com in Iowa. They ship. You can try making one with white paper and black spraypaint.I like the commercial ones better. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 Voice of experience here......... make sure that you get an actual VARITONE product. They are relatively expensive ($60) and do NOT scratch easily. They are on a heavy weight plastic backing.... not a thin almost paper material, The cheap crap ($35 ish) sold on EBay by some as "varitone" is NOT the real product. There is no comparison. "Varitone" apparently is being used almost like "Kleenex" and "Xerox" by many photo material dealers....... a generic term for a type of product. I use Varitone black #09. best, ......................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi, I wonder how can I reach that shaded background for my pottery photos which I can see in ceramic magazines. Could you help me with that? Thank for all your advices. jana You'll be setting pots directly on the paper to get the right graduation of light to dark and even the expensive stuff DOES scratch easily when you're moving pots across it. jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi, I wonder how can I reach that shaded background for my pottery photos which I can see in ceramic magazines. Could you help me with that? Thank for all your advices. jana You'll be setting pots directly on the paper to get the right graduation of light to dark and even the expensive stuff DOES scratch easily when you're moving pots across it. jim Jim, The real Varitone Graduated Background is not paper nor even paper-like at all ......... it is a rather heavy plastic and the pattern is rather stable. What it sounds like you are describing is the "knockoffs" of Varitone. They are graduated backgrounds....... but the base is thin and like a coated paper stock, and the surface will die if you look at it cross eyed. Yes, the real stuff WILL scratch if you are not reasonably careful with it..... but I've used the same one for YEARS and I've found it stands up pretty darn well to hundreds and hundereds of photos. I don't slide pots across it. best, ....................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OffCenter Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Hi, I wonder how can I reach that shaded background for my pottery photos which I can see in ceramic magazines. Could you help me with that? Thank for all your advices. jana You'll be setting pots directly on the paper to get the right graduation of light to dark and even the expensive stuff DOES scratch easily when you're moving pots across it. jim Jim, The real Varitone Graduated Background is not paper nor even paper-like at all ......... it is a rather heavy plastic and the pattern is rather stable. What it sounds like you are describing is the "knockoffs" of Varitone. They are graduated backgrounds....... but the base is thin and like a coated paper stock, and the surface will die if you look at it cross eyed. Yes, the real stuff WILL scratch if you are not reasonably careful with it..... but I've used the same one for YEARS and I've found it stands up pretty darn well to hundreds and hundereds of photos. I don't slide pots across it. best, ....................john Hi John, I've used both and you're right, the real stuff is much better. The cheap stuff would be okay if it only cost $15 or $20 but most of it cost almost as much as real Varitone--which, as you agree above, will scratch. We just differ on how easily it will scratch. Maybe I should stop sliding pots across it.... BTW, just unloaded an anagama yesterday. Beautiful firing! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 BTW, just unloaded an anagama yesterday. Beautiful firing! My nobiorigama is sitting there in the rain today behind my studio cooling. Will unload tomorrow after 3 days of cooling. Hoping for a beautiful results too....... but one never knows until the pieces are out. The firing itself went smoothly....so hopefully that is a good sign. Glad yours was successful. best, .................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jana Matiscik Posted November 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 Thank to all of you for your help. Now I know what to want as Christmas present:). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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