Style your scene

In this project we used a 60cm-square photo board from www.photoboards.org, which had the effect of painted plaster. The pastel colours were perfect to complement the light colours of our floral arrangement. If you’re after a darker, moody image, however (akin to those still-life paintings from the Dutch masters), use a photo board with a darker, grittier print.

For the best results when using printed backdrops, don’t shoot them too closely. Despite being high-resolution, magnifying them beyond what the eye can see means you start to see the dots of the print. Make sure you reduce reflections on the smooth surface of shiny boards, too, by adjusting the angle of our camera. Bear in mind that you can use wooden boards, paper or fabric here, too.