FANTASY PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS:
STORYBOOK BACKDROPS TO TRANSFORM YOUR STUDIO
WITH RUSS TURNER
There’s something captivating about portraits that look like they stepped out of a storybook. Fairytale-inspired photography allows us to blend imagination with reality, creating visual tales that transport both the subject and the viewer into another realm.But let’s be honest, creating a full fantasy world from scratch is exhausting, expensive, and likely ends with a friend in a cardboard knight costume, crying in a field. Instead of starting from scratch, fantasy backdrops let you create immersive images without breaking the bank, and more importantly, without revealing that you’re shooting in a light industrial complex and not among the misty ruins of the Elvenwood.
WHY USE FANTASY BACKDROPS?
Backdrops are more than just background decoration, they set the stage for your story. They can establish mood, anchor the character in a specific place and time, and hint at the magic that might be afoot. All of this, while transforming your beige wall into something actually worth photographing.Using a printed backdrop allows you to:
- Control the setting regardless of weather or location access. Let’s be blunt—most of us don’t have ready access to a medieval castle, future space station, or enchanted forest.
- Maintain consistency in lighting and composition throughout the shoot.
- Enhance storytelling by providing visual cues that support your concept.
- Work efficiently, saving hours of travel and post-production time.
CHOOSING A FANTASY BACKDROP
There are several important considerations when choosing a backdrop for a fantasy shoot:
- Set the scene: Backdrops are a primary element in world-building. Look for ones that help establish your environment and lay the groundwork for your story. The Christmas Castle Door backdrop, for example, served as an excellent foundation for a snow queen shoot. Using blue gelled lights and underexposing the background created a nighttime scene, with our queen searching through the storm.
- Consider color harmony: Make sure the background colors don’t clash with your subject. Muted tones pair well with vintage-inspired attire. Neutral colors, especially, can be modified with gels or RGB lights to better match your subject. The Muted Autumn Wall backdrop worked beautifully for a forest fae character—pink gels were added to create soft overtones that complemented the costume and accessories.
Seek depth and natural lighting: Choose a backdrop with dimensional elements and believable lighting. A scene with visible depth helps create a three-dimensional world, adding to its believability. Be sure to light your subject in harmony with the lighting shown in the backdrop. In the image below, we placed the key light camera-left so that shadows on the subject aligned with those in the Framed Floral background.
- Go custom when needed: If you have something specific in mind, consider printing a custom backdrop. For one shoot, the client had a Star Wars “Nightsister” cosplay. We created a backdrop based on Dathomir, the Nightsisters’ home planet. Combined with red gels and post-production fog, the backdrop created a suitably eerie sci-fi world for the character.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Fantasy photography is about escapism, creativity, and visual storytelling. A thoughtfully chosen backdrop doesn’t just fill space, it gives your subject the chance to become something magical, something fantastic, something more. It invites the viewer into an entirely different world.As photographers, we wield the power to turn everyday sessions into epic tales. The right fantasy backdrop can be your portal to that transformation. Choose wisely, light it artfully, and let your imagination guide the lens.