Creating three different looks with the same background

Are you looking for a budget-friendly, cool, funky background that can be used in multiple photoshoots with different looks? How about newspaper? I had a few people collect their newspapers for a few weeks (many people still receive a physical newspaper, ask your neighbours). We made a cool background using standard newspaper pages taped with masking tape to a seamless backdrop, but you could easily tape it to a sheet or a wall.

The setup

So we collected some newspapers from my makeup artist’s grandparents, a few weeks’ worth was more than enough. I then spent a morning taping sheet by sheet with masking tape to my backdrop. Starting from the bottom and moving up. Cover the edge (and tape) with the next piece of paper moving up. You can choose whether it’s all B&W or if you want to add some bright colours. Do you want perhaps only headlines, or travel getaway articles? Lots of options are available. Mine is approximately 3m wide and 5-6m long (or high) for the back wall and floor.

Portrait looks

So what portrait looks would suit this type of backdrop? That is entirely up to you. I chose three different looks, cool casual jeans and a white T, then we did a Steampunk look. Honestly, who doesn’t love an over-the-top classic steampunk? What about a formal portrait? I found I preferred the formal portrait in B&W, and that’s terrific too. A classic B&W portrait is always in style.

Gear used

I was using my Sony A7RV and a Sony 50mm GM f/1.4 lens. I used 2 Godox AD400Pro with Phottix Softboxes in the front, while I used 2 x Godox AD200 in strip boxes to add rim light and light up the newspaper. I used f/5.6 on the casual and steampunk, as I still wanted the newspaper to look like newspaper and I used f/4.0 on the formal portraits to add just a touch more blur.

Model – Eden Elisabeth / Hair and Makeup by Teighan Felton. Would you like to see the behind-the-scenes on this photoshoot? Check out the video over on my YouTube channel