Build a DIY Backdrop Stand for Photography and Video
Let’s face it, it’s freakin cold out in the winter. And when it’s cold out, who wants to spend a lot of time shooting outside? Hmmm, not me. If it’s below freezing the only way I’ll be outside is if I have some skis strapped to the bottom of my boots. That is what led me to build a studio in my warm cozy basement. The total cost of building this backdrop stand was about $40 at the Home Depot.
Supplies Needed:
- 2 – 3/4″ steel conduit (10 foot sections). Use one as top crossbar at full length and cut the other one in half.
- 1 – 1″ steel conduit (10 footer). Cut it in half.
- 2 – 8 foot 2×4′s
- 2 – 3/4″ steel conduit corner pull elbows. These join the vertical conduit to horizontal conduit.
- 4 – 1″ conduit wall mounting brackets. This secures the vertical conduit to the wood base.
- 2 – 3/4″ conduit wall brackets. This is the height adjuster.
- 24 – Wood Screws to hold both bases together (12 each).
To make full use of 2 cheap 2×4′s, I cut them for the base feet like this. 32″ front to back with 12″ cross legs at the ends. It has a 16″ vertical support and about an 11″ 45 degree cross support making it more rigid. 2 wood screws are drilled into each joint which makes the stand pretty bomber. Slide a 5 foot section of the 1″ conduit into each base. The conduit is held by 2, 1″ wall mounting brackets.
Here you can see why I used a 3/4″ and 1″ diameter conduit. The 1″ sits below and the 3/4″ slides inside it like a sleeve and you can adjust the height as needed. You lock off the height by tightening down the 3/4″ wall bracket and it will act as a stopper.
Finally, the long 10 foot 3/4″ cross bar is connected with what is called a “corner pull” elbow. They are built specifically for this 3/4″ size and tighten down with supplied screws.
The final stand is probably as strong as you can get without shelling several hundred on a pair of C-Stands. It is 10 feet wide and can easily go up to 9 feet tall. I have had toddlers running crazy in my basement with no fear of anything falling. Now, I have no more excuses for not creating awesome visual content and neither do you.
Make something awesome!
