NOTE - TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS... A few people have asked if this could be done with a 1080HD TV instead of 4K - ABSOLUTELY! Also a few people have suggested using a projector... that is an option but not nearly as practical as you may think. With a projector you will be photographing reflected light and you will need considerable distance between your subject which you are lighting and the background so that your lights don't spill onto the background and wipe out the projected image. I have tried this and it honestly is not worth the hassle in my opinion, It will not work in a small space and is very finnicky at best
Joe Edelman that was the good old days onto some white seamless. Heck I even used an old slide projector with some of my images. But what a pain! The lumens were not there and it was always tough to not blow it out with a strobe.
Many decades ago, I worked at a small-town TV station. Before color came in, we had a 20 x 25 rear screen on which were projected 4 x5 slides. For a news story, we would start with a rear screen, and at the end of the shot, the director would tell the cameraman to dolly in and the rear screen operator to go void. It looked good, but the studio was about 50 x 100 feet with a 30-foot or so ceiling. As you say, it is hard to work with any projection setup because of the spill from your lights.
FINALLY a real pro photographer. You're pushing boundaries, being creative, and doing things very few other photographers on youtube are doing. It can be annoying when every photography is making videos about "increasing your iso to get brighter photos" or what's the difference between 35MM and 85MM. Copycats and amateurs pretending to be gurus. Thank You. Something New.
You are the Wayne Gretzky of the TH-cam Photography World. I am Canadian, so I hope you understand how much praise I am heaping onto you by equating you to our country's greatest athlete.
LOL Michael, while I am not much of a hockey guy, but I actually had the opportunity to photograph him playing against the Flyers in the early 1980's and I am very aware of why they called him The Great One! I am flattered and appreciate your kind words!
I've no idea why but I unsubscribed some while ago and have just seen this creatively innovative idea. I've resubscribed permanently. Thank you, Joe, I love your enthusiasm and common sense approach.
Does anyone know if some of the TH-cam news channels use flat screen TVs for their background? I don’t know if this works for video. It might pick up artifacts as the screen refreshes itself 24 times per second or whatever?
I've been thinking about this for a long time. The other night, I was sitting at home not doing anything else so I popped off a bunch of selfie headshots (like 150+) in front of the TV. It's pretty cool and I completely dig it. I actually just let TH-cam run in the background. I got shots in the desert, the forest, space.. and a bunch of them on a video that just had patterns. I need to figure out how to simulate shots with depth in them for actor and business portraits.. in the studio. To virtually put someone in a location. I know others do it but _I_ haven't worked it out yet. I could set up vflats in the background and bounce lights off them and introduce various elements. Or... I could shoot against a TV and create whatever background I want. I haven't committed to getting the big TV for the studio yet but I think it's just a matter of time. My problem is that it's not very portable. Also.. I'm thinking of 75" so I have some more field to play with. It's not much more expensive than the 65. And.. I normally shoot FF with an 85mm. I need the real estate. :-) Being a student of the house of Hurley, I shoot a lot on grey as well. I'm wondering if this would make white easier. My thought is that you don't have a lot of light splashing back from the TV and that would keep flare to a minimum. I'm big on buttery soft backgrounds but I wondered if you could close up the aperture a bit and bring the background into a little more focus so it's not just color soup. After watching your video, I think that's a 'yes'.
@@theJoeEdelman as a way-older-than-I-out-to-be- beginner, I am always looking for ways to make the most out of my investments. YOU, sir, have given me an idea that I can run with. Awesome content, and you can bet I will continue watching and liking your videos!
Great Ideal, I do product photography and a versatile mixed with a Variety of background is a must for what products I shoot. This is a game charger for me. Dont need a room full of backgrounds now Thanks again Joe.
Thank you Leumas Photography ! The problem with projectors is that they are not actually very bright when you consider you would be photographing reflected light off of your background and if you don't have a lot of space to shoot in - the light from your subject will spill onto the screen / backdrop and wipe out the projected image.
Once again, love your creativeness and clear and thoughtful discussion of your craft. You give me hope that anything is possible (within reason). Thanks again Joe.
The TV is a brilliant idea. I use one in my preview room with Proselct to sell images. That is already paid for itself 10 times over. Repurposing this asset when it’s not in use gives a bang for buck 10,000 to 1!
Hi Joe! Many thanks you for exellent idea of close-up portrait! It's like a greenscreen, but with real-time effect! And special thanks for "tips video" - Short & usefull!
Just watched your presentation on Christmas Portraits and it was excellent. Thanks for including the link to this and two others on shooting portraits.
Thanks for a neat idea! I haven't been able to do enough portrait photography to make investing in backgrounds worthwhile. I had bought a bunch of backgrounds from a guy who was dumping his equipment during a divorce. I've used some of them and could still do more without repeating. At one point, my strategy for backgrounds was going to involve a bunch of sheets of Visqueen plastic sheeting and some spray paint. I was actually planning to make something that would allow me to hang three sheets one behind another about six inches apart. I would then spray paint different colors on each sheet and have an extra flash fire from behind the last sheet to project colors onto the sheet nearest the model. When I got tired of one background, I'd just get out the can of spray paint and modify it a little bit. The whole idea probably wouldn't have worked very well, but I would have had fun. In your pinned comment, you mention using a projector but also mention the problem of dealing with projected light. Do you think that problem would be reduced if you got a translucent material and projected your background pattern from behind the sheet. On a budget, maybe you could get a non-colored translucent shower curtain and project from behind. Most projectors have brightness settings, so you could fiddle with those to produce different effects. You could also blow a powerful fan against the curtain to produce ripple effects. At a slow enough shutter speed, that would give you the blur effect that you like while still freezing your model's position with a strobe.
gracias primera vez q veo ese manejo de la fotografia con el televisor lo voy a poner en practica muchas bendiciones q mi dios lo bendiga saludos desde colombia
Hi, Joe, better late than never: I wish you all the best for 2020 :-) as always very creative and inspiring with awesome looking results, what a crazy concept, so far you are the only one with such a great idea, as far as I can tell !!
Really interesting. This is such a smart solution to a problem; it's essentially a very "simple" idea thoroughly worked through. The essence of creative vision is taking things that don't go together in most people's heads, and showing them that they can and they do. Thanks Joe.
Amazing results with endless possibilities! Thanks, Joe! I like how you bounced colored light off the reflector to fill in the glasses. I see you have the reflector at an angle, did you also have to position the glasses at a certain downward angle as well? I'd like to learn that technique and add my own flair to it.
Thank you Ajax Rodriguez . I didn't have to tilt the glasses down but I did have to look for the reflection to make sure it was covering the whole sunglass - if it wasn't I would adjust my angle or the angle of the reflector.
Joe, you are so creative. Thank you for this idea. I thought about using a projector but dismissed it. I also dismissed using a TV because of the assumed reflection from the flash, but I guess until you actually try something out (i.e. actually do the experiment and keep changing your variables) to see if works you won't know. This is the solution I have long been looking for--Thank you for telling us about it.
Hi Joe I know this is the digital age is there a modern equivalent of front projection as this would give you a bigger background should you need a bigger background love your studio work as a retired wedding and portrait photographer it's lovely to see how the modern creative photographers work
Thank you for the kind words Stephen welham ! The challenge with front projection is that projectors are actually not that bright unless they are very close to the screen and then you have the issue of having to light your subject so that NO light reaches the screen as it will wipe out the projected image,
It also has a higher resale value and has a much wider appeal on the second hand market, if you suddenly decide that you want to sell off your photography stuff and try to get some of your money back.
Brilliant, in many meanings of the word! I have an Epson Projector and projection screen. Your concept could be adapted if the strobes don't spill over onto the screen. Time to experiment!
Thank you MSACoachMike ! I have worked with the projectors and it is a real struggle - the problem is that the projectors are not nearly as bright as you think when you factor in that you will be photographing "reflected light" instead of a TV that is backlit and remember you have the built in tv feature to brighten the tv image.
@@theJoeEdelman I've got my first-ever on-site portrait shoot coming up early in February. The place has a large screen TV. Definitely going to try it out before going as it has major possibilities. Like the inverse square law for flash, the projector does get dimmer the further away from the screen it gets. That is one area where some experimentation is needed - how far from the screen can you go and get a large enough image that is bright enough. How reflective the screen is as well can make a difference. I appreciate your comments and feedback, as well as your unique style on your videos.
Hi Joe, very awesome trick, it's cool how affordable these big screens today, I thought projector is good, but this is much more convenient! I wondered what provides better results, this or a green-screen, because the theory is similar: endless backgrounds. Thank you, and best wishes for 2020!
Thank you Bregb Arega ! Green screen works - but not as easily. Green screen requires post production and you have to be very careful lighting a green screen so that you don't spill the green color onto your subject. The TV screen is backlit so there are no issues. Th main limitation of the TV is size, but even that limitation is fading as the tv's get bigger and the prices come down.
This is an extremely clever and useful option. Changed my perspective on buying backdrops for studio use. 2/3rds through was that bit of technical info I was hoping for. A 65" screen is a relatively narrow background when allowing for a bit of crop to relax the framing, unless shooting from a fixed and locked off tripod perspective. 75mm on what I'm assuming is a MFT body for a 150mm field of view, or well within the range for 70-200mm portrait FF shooters. This might work with a back lit/rear projection set up as well (this is a technique for film production), but the simplicity and compactness of a large panel display is pretty tough to beat.
NOTE - TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS...
A few people have asked if this could be done with a 1080HD TV instead of 4K - ABSOLUTELY!
Also a few people have suggested using a projector... that is an option but not nearly as practical as you may think. With a projector you will be photographing reflected light and you will need considerable distance between your subject which you are lighting and the background so that your lights don't spill onto the background and wipe out the projected image. I have tried this and it honestly is not worth the hassle in my opinion, It will not work in a small space and is very finnicky at best
Joe Edelman that was the good old days onto some white seamless. Heck I even used an old slide projector with some of my images. But what a pain! The lumens were not there and it was always tough to not blow it out with a strobe.
Many decades ago, I worked at a small-town TV station. Before color came in, we had a 20 x 25 rear screen on which were projected 4 x5 slides. For a news story, we would start with a rear screen, and at the end of the shot, the director would tell the cameraman to dolly in and the rear screen operator to go void. It looked good, but the studio was about 50 x 100 feet with a 30-foot or so ceiling. As you say, it is hard to work with any projection setup because of the spill from your lights.
Who needs to listen to this Nerdy-Know-It-All? EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
I have missed the Hows and Whys series, great to see it again.
FINALLY a real pro photographer. You're pushing boundaries, being creative, and doing things very few other photographers on youtube are doing. It can be annoying when every photography is making videos about "increasing your iso to get brighter photos" or what's the difference between 35MM and 85MM. Copycats and amateurs pretending to be gurus. Thank You. Something New.
Thank you HEED! I appreciate the kind words and support!
Fantastic video and awesome creativity👍 just subscribed
You are the Wayne Gretzky of the TH-cam Photography World. I am Canadian, so I hope you understand how much praise I am heaping onto you by equating you to our country's greatest athlete.
LOL Michael, while I am not much of a hockey guy, but I actually had the opportunity to photograph him playing against the Flyers in the early 1980's and I am very aware of why they called him The Great One! I am flattered and appreciate your kind words!
How did I miss this when it came out?! Definitely bookmarking this one.
Ohhh thanks for sharing mate, not often you can say you have an original idea, but you did it in 2020! That alone is worth a Nobel prize 😂👍👍
I've no idea why but I unsubscribed some while ago and have just seen this creatively innovative idea. I've resubscribed permanently. Thank you, Joe, I love your enthusiasm and common sense approach.
This is a great idea, Joe. I will have to give that a go. See you later, in Tog Knowledge. Cheers from AUS.
Joe you are truly the Man never thought about using the tv as a background great idea 👍👍
This is why I like this channel - really makes me think about how I’m working and generates new ideas. Thanks Joe
Most definitely a cool idea. My wife was just asking me the other day how many backdrops I need since I had 4 more in the Amazon Cart. Thank Joe
Does anyone know if some of the TH-cam news channels use flat screen TVs for their background? I don’t know if this works for video. It might pick up artifacts as the screen refreshes itself 24 times per second or whatever?
Never seen your videos before, but this is fantastic. Thanks!
already shared this on the FB Groups ........thank you JOE
Just brilliant... as usual!!
Happy and safe 2021, Joe!
Thanks Joe. The details you provided is excellent and gives enough to get started if I wanted to.
I've been thinking about this for a long time. The other night, I was sitting at home not doing anything else so I popped off a bunch of selfie headshots (like 150+) in front of the TV. It's pretty cool and I completely dig it. I actually just let TH-cam run in the background. I got shots in the desert, the forest, space.. and a bunch of them on a video that just had patterns.
I need to figure out how to simulate shots with depth in them for actor and business portraits.. in the studio. To virtually put someone in a location. I know others do it but _I_ haven't worked it out yet. I could set up vflats in the background and bounce lights off them and introduce various elements. Or... I could shoot against a TV and create whatever background I want.
I haven't committed to getting the big TV for the studio yet but I think it's just a matter of time. My problem is that it's not very portable. Also.. I'm thinking of 75" so I have some more field to play with. It's not much more expensive than the 65. And.. I normally shoot FF with an 85mm. I need the real estate. :-)
Being a student of the house of Hurley, I shoot a lot on grey as well. I'm wondering if this would make white easier. My thought is that you don't have a lot of light splashing back from the TV and that would keep flare to a minimum.
I'm big on buttery soft backgrounds but I wondered if you could close up the aperture a bit and bring the background into a little more focus so it's not just color soup. After watching your video, I think that's a 'yes'.
WOW .... this amazing ... @Joe Edelman ... you are amazing at sharing...!!
I have a 49” I’ll have to give it a try. Awesome idea. Thanks for sharing.
This was awesome. Gave me a great reason to buy a new tv.
Fantastic tips with endless possibilities 👍🏼. Thanks
How freaking OUTSIDE THE BOX is this? Awesome idea--thank you!!
Thank you Stillwaters Farm!
@@theJoeEdelman as a way-older-than-I-out-to-be- beginner, I am always looking for ways to make the most out of my investments. YOU, sir, have given me an idea that I can run with. Awesome content, and you can bet I will continue watching and liking your videos!
Joe, this is really cool. Your creativity genes are on steroids! LOL Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much John!
Brilliant. Just brilliant idea.
love this! Never thought about introducing motion into a backdrop.
These photos look amazing
Very clever. Thanks for sharing!
Love that idea. Who knew. Thanks Joe
You are Great for all of us and Olympus
Thank you Alexander Stehle! I appreciate the kind words and support!
Great creative background idea.
Great Ideal, I do product photography and a versatile mixed with a Variety of background is a must for what products I shoot. This is a game charger for me. Dont need a room full of backgrounds now Thanks again Joe.
My pleasure Mike Osinski ! Glad it helps!
Classic idea, very nice.
Great video/tutorial, thank you for sharing Joe.
Nice!
I'd imagine a 4k projector might work well too
Thank you Leumas Photography ! The problem with projectors is that they are not actually very bright when you consider you would be photographing reflected light off of your background and if you don't have a lot of space to shoot in - the light from your subject will spill onto the screen / backdrop and wipe out the projected image.
Once again, love your creativeness and clear and thoughtful discussion of your craft. You give me hope that anything is possible (within reason). Thanks again Joe.
Thank you dance2jam! I really appreciate the kind words!
The TV is a brilliant idea. I use one in my preview room with Proselct to sell images. That is already paid for itself 10 times over. Repurposing this asset when it’s not in use gives a bang for buck 10,000 to 1!
Re-purpose a tv as a actual tv when not in use as a backdrop - nice. :) That just may justify the cost.
awesome and inspiring... Thanks Joe
Great video Joe, like always. Thank you very much. Hello from Moscow. Russia.
Thank you so much Andrey!
Thank you so much! I really miss these videos
Hi Joe! Many thanks you for exellent idea of close-up portrait! It's like a greenscreen, but with real-time effect! And special thanks for "tips video" - Short & usefull!
Livescreen?
Cool idea I hadn't thought about. Thanks for sharing!
Great idea
Always a pleasure Joe and I even learned something! Thanks!
Great idea and very good explanation (as allways). And the TV is a super good opportunity when you shoot tethered instead of a Notebook screen.
Love this creative idea!
Just watched your presentation on Christmas Portraits and it was excellent. Thanks for including the link to this and two others on shooting portraits.
Thank you Carla Chirigos! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Very inspiring, Joe! I had wondered about the horizontal banding and I think I understand your answer in the video. Only thing to do is try!
Fantastic presentation and ideas. As usual.
Thanks for a neat idea!
I haven't been able to do enough portrait photography to make investing in backgrounds worthwhile. I had bought a bunch of backgrounds from a guy who was dumping his equipment during a divorce. I've used some of them and could still do more without repeating.
At one point, my strategy for backgrounds was going to involve a bunch of sheets of Visqueen plastic sheeting and some spray paint. I was actually planning to make something that would allow me to hang three sheets one behind another about six inches apart. I would then spray paint different colors on each sheet and have an extra flash fire from behind the last sheet to project colors onto the sheet nearest the model. When I got tired of one background, I'd just get out the can of spray paint and modify it a little bit. The whole idea probably wouldn't have worked very well, but I would have had fun.
In your pinned comment, you mention using a projector but also mention the problem of dealing with projected light. Do you think that problem would be reduced if you got a translucent material and projected your background pattern from behind the sheet. On a budget, maybe you could get a non-colored translucent shower curtain and project from behind. Most projectors have brightness settings, so you could fiddle with those to produce different effects. You could also blow a powerful fan against the curtain to produce ripple effects. At a slow enough shutter speed, that would give you the blur effect that you like while still freezing your model's position with a strobe.
gracias primera vez q veo ese manejo de la fotografia con el televisor lo voy a poner en practica muchas bendiciones q mi dios lo bendiga saludos desde colombia
Hi, Joe, better late than never: I wish you all the best for 2020 :-)
as always very creative and inspiring with awesome looking results, what a crazy concept, so far you are the only one with such a great idea, as far as I can tell !!
Cool idea! Hmmm... I think I have the perfect opportunity to try this. Looking forward to it.
Awesome Kevin T.! Thanks for commenting!
the creative master. great concept
Glad you enjoyed it metamurph! I appreciate the comment!
absolutely loved this video and its content!!! will definitely try this!! thank you!
Thank you Franklin Liranzo! I appreciate the kind words and support!
Awesome video Joe... it's wasn't just about the TV, but really, the creative elements/ideas discussed... Thanks for doing what you do!
My pleasure Dave Williams! Thank you for the very kind words!
Freaking amazing 👏 loveeeee this so much. Thank you brotha. 😊
Great idea! Thanks for sharing. Can't wait to try it.
My pleasure fmrff70! I will look forward to your results!
Great video as always Joe! Very well thought out and full of ways to make someone think outside the box!
mind blown!!!! Thanks JOE!!!!!!
My pleasure Charles Richard! Thanks for commenting!
AMAZING VIDEO!!
Great thinking 99! Great backlight for some things too.
Thank you! Work Pics 360 Virtual Tours Glad you enjoyed it!
so creative
Glad you enjoyed it cosmo ianiro! I appreciate the comment!
Really interesting. This is such a smart solution to a problem; it's essentially a very "simple" idea thoroughly worked through. The essence of creative vision is taking things that don't go together in most people's heads, and showing them that they can and they do. Thanks Joe.
Thank you Martin Tolley! I really appreciate the kind words!
Nice. Thanks for the share
Joe! Thank you soooo much for this. Love your infinite knowledge and creativity. Keep up the fantastic work :)
Very interesting and Thanks for sharing this!
My pleasure Alan Johnstone! Thanks for commenting!
GENIUS!!!
Amazing results with endless possibilities! Thanks, Joe!
I like how you bounced colored light off the reflector to fill in the glasses. I see you have the reflector at an angle, did you also have to position the glasses at a certain downward angle as well? I'd like to learn that technique and add my own flair to it.
Thank you Ajax Rodriguez . I didn't have to tilt the glasses down but I did have to look for the reflection to make sure it was covering the whole sunglass - if it wasn't I would adjust my angle or the angle of the reflector.
Did you have a glare issue from the lights on the TV? How did you overcome it?
Sometimes Jason Klein - YES - I did talk about it in the video at 3:30
Really great video sir
Neat idea, thanks for sharing.
Great ideas found here... thank you!
Amazing idea man, I love it. thank you so much!!!
Brilliant
Joe, you are so creative. Thank you for this idea. I thought about using a projector but dismissed it. I also dismissed using a TV because of the assumed reflection from the flash, but I guess until you actually try something out (i.e. actually do the experiment and keep changing your variables) to see if works you won't know. This is the solution I have long been looking for--Thank you for telling us about it.
Thank you Norm! I really appreciate the kind words!
Hi Joe I know this is the digital age is there a modern equivalent of front projection as this would give you a bigger background should you need a bigger background love your studio work as a retired wedding and portrait photographer it's lovely to see how the modern creative photographers work
Thank you for the kind words Stephen welham ! The challenge with front projection is that projectors are actually not that bright unless they are very close to the screen and then you have the issue of having to light your subject so that NO light reaches the screen as it will wipe out the projected image,
Great Idea, wow
Great DIY
You keep amazing me, great idea Joe!
Thank you Gon Alroc! I really appreciate the kind words!
🤔 I love this idea
Cool idea! I wonder how a ultra short throw 4K laser projector would work for a 10-12ft diag large backdrop.
Wow.... great idea!
Great idea!
Thank you Brett Haddock! I appreciate the comment.
It also has a higher resale value and has a much wider appeal on the second hand market, if you suddenly decide that you want to sell off your photography stuff and try to get some of your money back.
Brilliant, in many meanings of the word! I have an Epson Projector and projection screen. Your concept could be adapted if the strobes don't spill over onto the screen. Time to experiment!
Thank you MSACoachMike ! I have worked with the projectors and it is a real struggle - the problem is that the projectors are not nearly as bright as you think when you factor in that you will be photographing "reflected light" instead of a TV that is backlit and remember you have the built in tv feature to brighten the tv image.
@@theJoeEdelman I've got my first-ever on-site portrait shoot coming up early in February. The place has a large screen TV. Definitely going to try it out before going as it has major possibilities. Like the inverse square law for flash, the projector does get dimmer the further away from the screen it gets. That is one area where some experimentation is needed - how far from the screen can you go and get a large enough image that is bright enough. How reflective the screen is as well can make a difference. I appreciate your comments and feedback, as well as your unique style on your videos.
Genius!
Omg you just shared fire Mr.Promethus.....
Glad you enjoyed it MMA Hype Watch! I appreciate the comment!
Can you make one more video on how to shoot with all camera settings?
Great idea..Going to try it..
I really need to try this 👍
Thank you!
My pleasure @veselinvasilev9362 !
Hi Joe, very awesome trick, it's cool how affordable these big screens today, I thought projector is good, but this is much more convenient! I wondered what provides better results, this or a green-screen, because the theory is similar: endless backgrounds.
Thank you, and best wishes for 2020!
Thank you Bregb Arega ! Green screen works - but not as easily. Green screen requires post production and you have to be very careful lighting a green screen so that you don't spill the green color onto your subject. The TV screen is backlit so there are no issues. Th main limitation of the TV is size, but even that limitation is fading as the tv's get bigger and the prices come down.
Great video Joe (Y)
Thank you Luis Enrique Castillo! I appreciate the comment.
awesome vid! what is the name of that curved reflector you have in front of your models?? looks like an awesome tool!
Where can a person get a wheeled stand for the TV? Good video thank you!
Its in the description: 32 to 70 Inch Mobile TV Cart Universal Flat Screen Rolling TV Stand: amzn.to/35NQcz1
great stuff inspiring
I like the job you do, can you share the background photos used in this video
@gundogdyatajanow2742, you can see them in the video - what benefit is there to me sharing them?
This is an extremely clever and useful option. Changed my perspective on buying backdrops for studio use.
2/3rds through was that bit of technical info I was hoping for. A 65" screen is a relatively narrow background when allowing for a bit of crop to relax the framing, unless shooting from a fixed and locked off tripod perspective. 75mm on what I'm assuming is a MFT body for a 150mm field of view, or well within the range for 70-200mm portrait FF shooters.
This might work with a back lit/rear projection set up as well (this is a technique for film production), but the simplicity and compactness of a large panel display is pretty tough to beat.