One issue I run into constantly when shooting portraits or product shots is how to add some variety to the background. I like having the consistency a backdrop can provide, but it doesn’t take long to get tired of solid coloured seamless paper or mottled muslin fabrics. You can get custom muslins made, but they are expensive, and you’ll still have to drag a background stand kit around with you. This is why the Lastolite Urban Backgrounds make so much sense. These pop-up backgrounds come in a wide variety of edgier and less tradional studio-looking patterns.

When Chris first saw the Lastolite Urban Frames a couple months back, he commented on how similar a few of them looked to locations around our store. He pitched the idea of shooting a tongue in cheek commercial for the backdrops in front of nearly identical locations. How could I not get on board?

The shoot went very quickly, with only five shots to nail down. I do wish I’d paid a bit more attention to the wind, as you can see the grey brick backdrop rippling in the first shot, but otherwise it was pretty straightforward. The video was filmed on the Sony FS700 on a Miller Air Tripod. The music is the fun track ‘Cold Sweat‘ from BeatSuite.com. The name and punchy bass are a nice shout out to some classic James Brown songs.While they are fairly pricey, the Lastolite Urban Backgrounds are a welcome change from the endless, generic backgrounds out there. If you’re looking for a very portable way to add interest to your portraits and product shots, check them out.

Music Provided by BeatSuite.com

Shot and Edited by Jordan Drake
Filmed on the Sony FS700