Photo from Flickr by Umbra Photo

Create a stable, portable, platform for using seamless paper on a carpeted floor.

Materials:

6 pieces of 2×2′ DRIcore Subflooring (Link goes to product at Home Depot Canada, as HD in the US no longer sells DRIcore, but that’ll give you the general idea)
Enough adhesive back tile to cover a 4′ by 6′ rectangle.
Utility Knife or Sharp Scissors

History:

Like many photographers, I am sometimes forced to find unique solutions to special problems. My current studio studio space has wall-to-wall carpeting and the obvious options of tearing out the existing carpet or moving to a new studio location were not ideal. Therefore, I set out to create a stable, portable platform that would allow me to use seamless paper on the existing floor without unsightly wrinkles in the paper, or the model punching holes straight through it with her high heels. For less than $40, I was able to create a platform that I can use both in the studio and on location and serves the purpose admirably.

Construction:

Step One:

Go to your local home/construction/hardware store and pick up a couple pieces of 2×2′ DRIcore subflooring. For my initial attempt, I chose to work with a total platform size of 4′ x 6′ which is large enough for what I wanted and also portable enough for me to take on location.

If you’d like to make the platform larger or smaller, it would be quite easy to do. The DRIcore subflooring has a tongue-and-groove connection system that makes it easy to add panels or take them away. It also makes it nice to be able to break down the platform and store it when it isn’t in use.

Step Two:

Once you’ve decided on a size for your new platform, get some adhesive backed vinyl tile from your local flooring store and tile the 2×2′ sections. I was able to pick up 1×1″ vinyl tile at the local dollar store for $1 for 3 tiles.

Once the tile is adhered to the panels, you’ll have some overlap on two edges because of the tongue-and-groove design. With a sharp utility knife or pair of scissors, trim the excess tile from the edges.

Step Four:

Once the tiles are trimmed, the panels are complete and ready to be assembled into your platform.

Step Five:

Assemble the panels and they are ready for use. I use duck tape to secure the grooves after they’re fitted together, then tape down the seamless as I would to hardwood studio floor. It’s sturdy, works well, cleans easily, and is portable. All in all, it’s a good solution to an annoying problem.

Photo from Flickr by PatrickSmithPhoto

I like the look of seamless and enjoy using it, but I was limited to how much I could do with it considering the wall-to-wall carpeting in my studio. The construction of this platform solved the problem and only took about an hour to build, start to finish. It’s portable enough to take on-location when needed, and it is easy to put together and tear down. Hopefully this will help some people in the same situation.

The author of this tutorial, Martin F. Hengst, is a photographer based out of Cockeysville, MD specializing in glamour, intimate, and boudoir portraits for any purpose. Martin has worked with many models and amateurs of all levels, and takes pride in creating very sensual and powerful images for his clients. You can view Martin’s work at www.hengstphoto.com. This article was reproduced with permission from the author.

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