How to build your own seamless backdrop DIY storage racks on the cheap

I don’t shoot much in the studio anymore, but when I used to, I had quite a few different backdrops. They were a pain to store because if you just lie the rolls down on the ground or a shelf horizontally (the most convenient way to store them), they’ll typically develop a “flat side” which turns into obvious bumps and creases when you unroll it on your stand. So vertical storage is a must.

Commercially available vertical background storage options can get quite expensive, but in this video, Scott Choucino shows us how he made his own DIY storage racks – well, with the help of a tall friend – for his studio to store his array of background rolls.

Scott’s solution, he says, was inspired by photographer Andreas Raun and it utilises 4″ PVC pipe connectors. These are screwed onto a board which is then mounted high up on the wall – the higher the better, as long as it’s not so high that it stands higher than the length of your rolls.

It’s a simple and inexpensive way to solve the problem of backdrop storage, especially if you have a bunch of them, but very effective. Depending on where you’re able to locate them in your studio, especially if they’re out in the open and close to your shooting space, I’d probably consider hanging a black curtain in front of them to prevent funky coloured light reflecting onto your subject.

How do you store yours?