Reddit mentions: The best sandbags

As most people here have mentioned, paper is going to be the easiest to deal with for solid colors. The best thing about paper is that if you scuff, crinkle, or tear it, you just cut off that section and unroll it some more. It's cheap enough to not worry about, and super-easy to work with. No cleaning (like vinyl), and no worrying about permanent footprints. A 36-foot roll of paper in most colors will run you about $40 for 53" or $60 for 107" width. You mentioned groups, so I'd recommend a 107" roll to avoid running out of room. 53" is really just for individuals, groups, and pets or products. Here are a few other things to consider:

Are you always shooting at home, or does your backdrop need to be mobile?

I have two sets of triple-rollers set up in my studio. They can be found for around $70 on Amazon, and can be wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted. Each set lets me mount 3 different rolls, and I have one set for 53" rolls and one for 107" rolls. If I want to switch colors, I just pull on the chain to raise one and lower another. To swap out a color, it only takes a couple of minutes.

For mobile situations, get yourself a backdrop crossbar and a pair of light stands. If you only use them once in a while, you can again find them on Amazon for around $40. But if you plan to use them consistently, I'd recommend getting something sturdier. Westcott makes a really nice 13-foot stand for around $80 each (you'll need two), and their crossbar is around $90, though some cheaper crossbars can be found for roughly half that. You can spend less on a smaller stand, but I wouldn't recommend it; anything smaller or cheaper loses a lot of stability. These stands will last you forever, are still cheap enough to not worry about it too much, and are fully usable as actual light stands in case you decide to start working with off-camera lighting later.

Safety

I'd also recommend 2-3 sandbags for each stand to reduce the risk of someone kicking them over. We live in a litigious country; don't get sued. You can buy empty sandbags pretty cheap (about $20 for 4 on Amazon) and then fill them with $5, 50-lb bags of playground sand from your local hardware store.

How are you using your backdrop?

For either of these scenarios, you'll need some way to keep the background down, as it tends to curl. Your local hardware store carries simple spring clamps for about a buck apiece, and 3-4 of those at each corner and in the middle will keep things stable. I'd recommend picking up a few extras as they're crazy-cheap, and great for keeping your backdrop from unrolling if you aren't using a roller system with resistance.

If you're looking for something seamless, you should also consider a roll of gaffers tape (or blue painter's tape, if you're trying to save money) to keep your paper on the floor, in case you want to create a sweep. In case you aren't familiar with this term, a sweep is where the background makes a rounded, 90-degree turn at the floor, resulting in a seamless background with no "corner". It's how you get those images where your subject is isolated against a background.

What it'll cost you, total

All-told, your total cost for this setup (doing it "right") is going to run you about $300 for your supports (including clamps, tape, sandbags, etc.), or about $100 if you go with the wall/ceiling mount. Paper rolls aren't included in this. This is about as cheap as it gets to do it "right", unless you're looking at an entirely DIY solution... at which point the price can drop to 1/10th of that.

Alternatives to paper rolls

If you're looking for more interesting backgrounds, you have three main options:

• dyed muslins
  
• printed/painted muslins or vinyl
  
• gelled lighting on white paper with a spare flash
  
  Dyed muslins will start at about $40-60 and look like these. Printed or painted ones (muslin fabric or vinyl start at $60-100 and go up from there. But if you have a spare flash, you can pick up the Rosco Strobist Collection of gels on Amazon for between $10 and $20, and then have any color background you want, with a nice, smooth gradient. You can toss it on a backward-pointing light stand behind your subjects, or backlight the backdrop from behind. Note that your camera and flash will need to support wireless triggering to do this, or you'll need some radio triggers.
  
  What you get out of your setup depends on what you put into it
  
  You can do some really interesting things with just a simple white backdrop. The biggest factor is going to be how much time you put into learning how to use it. Here's a post to get you started. Note that this article also has a link at the end to a second article about how to create interesting backgrounds using random objects in front of the flash. Definitely a good read.
  
  Good luck! :-)

I'm going to recommend that you look into Paul C. Buff AlienBees.  They offer a lot of value and aren't that expensive ($225-$360, depending on the power output), are built like tanks, last for years (my oldest is around 6-7 years old and still going strong), and have tons of inexpensive accessories available for them.  I'd pair it with one of their softboxes - probably an octabox.  For the specific model, I'd suggest a B800.  It has a decent amount of power vs. daylight, but can be reduced enough to not overpower too much in a studio environment.

There are cheaper options than AlienBees out there, but Paul C. Buff has an excellent reputation for quality, reliability, and customer service that you just aren't going to find with anyone manufacturing a cheaper strobe... and AlienBees are pretty cheap for what you get anyway.  :-)

For light stands, I'd suggest either Westcott or Avenger.  Westcott's 13-foot heavy-duty light stand will get the job done for around $60, though Avenger's C-stand is much more stable for around $200 ($250 if you want the removable base, which is nice for collapsing during transport). Avenger also makes a solid boom for another $120.  You can get away with just a single light stand for now, however.  Just make sure you sandbag it.  (I recommend pebbles rather than stand, and fill up a gallon-size ziplock bag rather than dumping them directly into the sandbag to avoid mess.)

I have the exact tripods. They work great so far. You will probably want to get some sandbags to weigh them down, and put the sand in ziplock bags before you put then into the sandbag carriers. I got these to go with the tripods:

https://www.amazon.com/Fasmov-Photographic-Sandbag-Studio-Stands/dp/B01HCGXUVA/ref=sr_1_sc_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1551200697&sr=1-3-spell&keywords=tripold+sandbags

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And, one last thing that I have noticed, is that the lighthouses can have a bit of "bounce" if anyone touches the tripod...and they wobble a bit before settling down. SO, I'm looking to find a way to dampen their movement by running some cords or bungees from the attachment point on the tripod/lighthouse down to the legs. Other than that, they're great.

We had this problem and I actually bought some sandbags to weigh it down so they couldn't move it. Not dirty outside ones, but nylon bags for putting sand it. It worked really well.

Edit: these are what I used. Saved us from drilling holes in our walls. [bags](StudioFX SANDBAG Sand Bag SADDLEBAG Double Zipper Design 4 BAGS WEIGHT BAGS FOR PHOTO VIDEO STUDIO STAND by Kaezi https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CXUT5ZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ryojDbQSA6FND)

You can get sandbags to make the stands more stable:

https://www.amazon.com/Professtyle-Sandbag-Weight-Photography-Stands/dp/B01JWH07FY/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1480819981&sr=1-1&keywords=tripod+weight

If you want to be really safe, use these:

https://www.amazon.com/FastCap-Support-System-144-Inches-3HAND5/dp/B000067S12/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?ie=UTF8&dpID=317WRHR2D7L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_SL500_SR300%2C300_&refRID=1S2P74YS5PXR2SYPB9A4&ref_=pd_aw_sim_60_of_5

https://www.amazon.com/Grifiti-Threaded-Microphone-Diameter-Motorcycles/dp/B00E5M39AW/ref=pd_bxgy_469_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00E5M39AW&pd_rd_r=936NJGGG3V6RSMQNG7VF&pd_rd_w=bIimK&pd_rd_wg=nROCp&psc=1&refRID=936NJGGG3V6RSMQNG7VF

Most tripods have a hook to add additional weight which can help with stability. If not you can still use sandbags to help.

Looks good to me. I would add one more thing.

Some sand bags for the stand. Only $17.

It's a big umbrella, and although it most likely won't tip over. Better to be safe than sorry, especially if you are going to be shooting newborns, lol. Only takes someone accidentally bumping into it.

u/lilypichu get a sandbag for your mic stand please
here's an amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Photographic-Sandbag-Studio-Stands/dp/B00LIRRLBU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1521486820&sr=8-5&keywords=sandbag&dpID=51ZWFs4puvL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Get one please. I beg you.
CC u/sleightlymusical

Have you considered a contractor pole? You can also use cheap sand bags. In terms of filler, you can get cheap playground sand for $5/bag, but I recommend spending just a few dollars more and get pebbles instead. Place whatever you decide to fill the sandbags with inside gallon size ziplog bags. These extra steps help to avoid getting sand and dust everywhere.

• DIY: $2.50 each
  
  
• Amazon: Four bags @ $3.75 each with four spring clamps
  
  Use a solid gallon plastic bag or two as a liner to keep sand securely away from your camera equipment.

You might look into getting some sandbags as well. I work in video, and I've bumped into stands with expensive lights on them enough times to know the value of a low center of gravity.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O4H6AI6

(Make sure to read reviews and avoid cheap, leaky sandbags! I just linked the first ones I saw pop up on Amazon.)

Sandbags. I get sandbags that grips use on movie sets, and just lay one over the legs. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/StudioFX-SANDBAG-HEAVYDUTY-SADDLEBAG-DESIGN/dp/B00CXUT5ZG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395593829&sr=8-2&keywords=Sandbag

Amazon? Delivered by Wed.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PZRNURI/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_crZLBbJET71NB

Two problems I see with this setup. First, you won't get the full 7 feet of height out of those, reducing the tracked height. While you might not be 6 foot or higher, think about if you're standing and whatever game/application wants you to reach up above you. These stands have a 9 foot extendable bar and are only a couple of bucks more expensive. That ball head bracket will also work for that stand.

Another thing I was worried about is the fact that at the end of the fairly long (and fairly light) pole, the lighthouse stations spin around; so even with a stable setup if you bump it, it might tip over. I picked up a couple of tripod sandbag holders and constructed a couple of cheap 10-pound weights using sand poured into gallon sized ziplock bags duct taped up then added a couple of layers of heavy-duty trash bag with more duct tape to ensure 2-3 layers of insurance should the bag break.

Almost forgot about the sandbags. You can get these on Amazon or B&H. The bigger ones are large enough to provide rear support and a strap to clip on to so the panels don't fall forward. You would tighten the hanging kit until the tension is enough to keep the panels from tipping forward: https://www.amazon.com/ABCCANOPY-Sandbag-Saddlebag-Design-Weight/dp/B01M264VSY/ref=zg_bs_3348211_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B5M1MFX09WM1AY7FPPPZ

They come empty and you just buy the sand at Lowes or Home Depot.

I've used these for the past couple years, and most of them are holding up (some handles are breaking, mostly from being thrown around). They're a 4 pack for relatively cheap. Sand still needs to be purchased. To prevent the sand from taking on water weight (if used outdoors), to prevent mold, to prevent the sandbags turning into dust bags, and to give one more layer of protection, sand should be poured into gallon-size ziploc bags before putting into the sandbag.

I just used regular sandbags and triple bagged them.

https://www.amazon.com/Sand-Bags-Polypropylene-Sandbags-Protection/dp/B00PZRNURI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495561212&sr=8-3&keywords=Sand+bags

Maybe some sandbags.

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Photographic-Sandbag-Studio-Stands/dp/B00JHCX6US/ref=sr_1_28?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1527264570&sr=1-28&keywords=sandbag

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Electronic-Flash-Cameras-Canon/dp/B01I09WHLW - Speedlight - $29

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Wireless-Speedlite-Receiver-Universal/dp/B00CO2WP0U/ - Wireless triger - $15

https://www.amazon.com/Lightdow-6-5ft-Adjustable-Tripod-Number/dp/B06ZY9D62X/ - Light stand - $13

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Softbox-Bracket-600EX-RT-Speedlite/dp/B016MKKAX - Softbox and bracket - $35

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Photographic-Sandbag-Studio-Stands/dp/B00JHCX6US/ - Sandbag - $7

That is a full 1 light off camera lighting kit including softbox and bracket.

You can also buy empty rip-proof sandbags like this. I made a series of double bagged bags, weighing between 25 and 50lbs, which I then place into a large duffel bag.

Not very exciting gear-wise, but does anyone have suggestions for good sandbags that don't leak?

I've been using these this year, but they leave sand behind every time I set them down--at the venue, in my trunk, in storage, etc. It's not fun having to worry about sand near my lenses.