When I first started blogging, there weren’t a lot of industry standards – mostly because blogging wasn’t much of an industry yet. When I started blogging, most bloggers were hobby bloggers – sharing their passions with the world with little to no compensation. The blogging industry has changed vastly since then. Bloggers have to be great with more than just writing now. Bloggers must be, at the least, amateur photographers as well. This DIY photo backdrop has been amazing the last few weeks and has vastly opened up my options in my photography for my blog. Decent photos used to be good enough. But with the industry growth, so have the standards and “decent photos” are no longer good enough. Every time I use it, it surprises me how easy it is to set up, use and take down. But even more, the results are always surprisingly amazing, given the simplicity of this project.
LARGE DIY PHOTO BACKDROP
FOR UNDER $10
Materials:
I used 1/2 inch (0.5″) PVC Pipe for my DIY photo backdrop. I wanted it to be light and it was the cheapest. It was also the only size they had one of my fittings. If you want a larger pipe, check the fittings first and make sure they have the sizes you need. Otherwise, you’ll have to make some adjustments.
– Two 10-foot sticks of PVC pipe
– Two elbow connectors
– Two three-way elbow fittings with female ends
– Two male adapters
– PVC cutters or a hack saw
– Marker
– Tape Measure
Directions:
Decide on the dimensions you want for your DIY photo backdrop. I did mine 3 feet by 3.5 feet and it’s been perfect so far. Decide how and what you’re going to use it for and you can adjust the size accordingly. I use mine mostly to stage photos for my blog. This is what your supplies should look similar too once you get your pipe pieces cut.
– Use the tape measure to measure out your pieces on the PVC pipe and mark your measurements on the pipe with the marker.
I needed:
– Two 36-inch pieces
– Two 42-inch pieces
– Two 24-inch pieces
– Cut the pipe at the marks you just made.
– Put the frame together. If you want to glue it, do it now. I decided not to glue it because I wanted it to be compact and easy to store. I can also put it in portrait orientation with the pieces not glued, just by flipping a few pieces.
1. Screw the male adapters onto one end of each of the shortest pieces of pipe.
2. Put the elbow fittings on one end of each of the 36-inch pipe pieces.
3. Put the 3-way elbow fittings on the other end of the 36-inch pipes.
4. Twist the male adapters into the 3-way elbows and stand the frame up.
5. Use a variety of blankets as your DIY photo backdrop. I hold my blankets in place with clothes pins.
This has worked so well for the past two weeks! I can’t believe it took me so long to get this project done. My very favorite part of this DIY photo backdrop is that I can still achieve professional, high-quality photos and… I don’t have to clean my house. Blogger confession. I just set up my backdrop and hide the clutter. Yep, it’s true. I made my DIY photo backdrop to fit on my island countertop too. It’s the best $10 I’ve spent on making my blogging better in a longtime.
