CharleyL Offline Upload & Sell: Off
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I have used V Flats, but my present studio only has an 8' ceiling. So I made my own 7' tall version.
I bought sheets of 1/2" foil/plastic faced foam core insulation boards, cut them to about 7' height, latex primed and painted both sides (paint alone doesn't stick), flat black on one side and ceiling white on the other, and built plywood stands, also painted black/white. The stands are shaped like an upside down "T" but with a 3/4" slot in the vertical part to allow inserting the panels, so it's easy to remove and replace the panels in the stands, and they are light enough to move around easily. I store the panels behind my roll down backdrop system against the wall and the stands in the corner of the studio. I made these about two years ago and have 4 of them. When I want a V shape I use two of them and some gaffer tape to tie the corners together, if needed. Velcro was considered, but I tried the gaffer tape and it worked well enough. I do very little work outside my studio and have never tried to use them outside the studio, so these work well for me. I built all 4 panels for less than $100.
I can use these panels separately or in pairs in a V formation, because the stands hold them vertical even when only one panel is used. If placed in a V, a strip of gaffer tape holds the tops tight together. The stands and their weight takes care of holding the bottoms together. I cut handle holes in the upright pieces of the stands to make it easy to pick them up and carry them, since each stand base is only 8" wide and 14" long. The vertical pieces are 10" tall and the gap between them is 3/4" to easily fit the 1/2" foam panels. These stands were made from 3/4" plywood. I added large 1 1/2" diameter stick on felt pads to their bases and rounded all of the stand's external edges to make them easy to slide around on the studio floor and carry. When you buy the foam core panels, just be sure to get flat ones. They don't straighten with age. I use these as reflectors or to bounce light from a strobe and 7" reflector when I want a very large and soft light source with no significant catchlights. For me, they have proven to be ideal for me to use in my small 8' ceiling studio. They don't fold, but I haven't needed them to fold.
Charley
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