What's a good light absorbing background material...

[Hector.Navarro]

just place the background on zone 0.

[alec4444]

Black out cloth?

Another vote for this. It's used in stage theater. Somewhat expensive (look in theater & prop stores) but probably the best you can get. It's made to be used to create fully black areas in front of live audiences, so it would be tough to rival.

--A

[Tracy Storer]

Expensive Velvet. If on the cheap, black felt is commonly available in fabric shops.

[neil poulsen]

My local photo shop (Portland, Or.) has this black felt-like material that they sell off of about a 40" roll. It looks more like plastic than cloth. Of course, it's designed to absorb light.

[Ken Sinclair]

I am looking for blacker than black background material.

Nate,

When gainfully employed, I used black velvet as a background for many thousands of images on EPY and sheet B/W.

If I may, I strongly recommend that you get the more expensive type rather than the cheaper.

I have a 2 meter piece that I bought some 15 years ago to replace my somewhat dilapidated first' piece that I purchased around 1979. Both had numerous experiences through the washing machine and dryer.... a gentle steaming restores the 'nap' nicely.

Ken

[pierre salomon]

I second Ken, I you are going to buy it, get the best black velvet ( not cheap velvetine). Just keep the soft side folded in when you store it to avoid dust collection. Buy more than you may need so you do not have to sew 2 pieces later.

[Henry Ambrose]

I'm not Duane but yes it can do that.
Matthews makes many, many kinds of fabrics including black duvetyne to fit on butterfly frames up to sizes so big you need a huge crew to handle them. I have a couple of them in 8x8 foot size. They do have sewn seams but on a black duvetyne the seams won't show since it should be black in your photograph. As for wrinkles you might have to hang it a while but it should be OK.

Buying material from Setshop may be cheaper if you want to make your own. But you're in California so it might be cheaper to look around the movie industry suppliers.

Duane, do you think that the Duvetyne would stretch over a frame and be wrinkle free. It might just be the background I am looking for. Thanks.

[Merg Ross]

Henry, thank you. Good information.