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I play Warhammer with my friends and we frequently take photos of our games. We've spent a lot of time and effort to paint miniatures and scenery, however the photos are often rudely backdropped by someone's kitchen.

photo of warhammer game with window in the background

The photos done by the Games Workshop studio such as the one below often have backdrops so the battles appear to go on forever.

professional photo of games workshop

What is the most cost effective way of recreating this effect at home - ideally using iPhone or iPad photo editing software?

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    \$\begingroup\$ Have you tried changing the angle and position of the camera? \$\endgroup\$
    – xiota
    May 27, 2020 at 11:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ @xiota yes to a degree and for posed shots you can put a big building behind them. But when you're photographing the "action" so to speak there may not be a convenient bit of scenery behind them \$\endgroup\$
    – Liath
    May 27, 2020 at 12:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ Not a proper answer because it is not adding a backdrop, but the most cost-effective way of removing the kitchen, furniture etc. is just getting a bed sheet and hold it / hang it right behind the scenery. An orange one for a fire effect, a blue one for a cold effect, etc. More info: google.com/search?q=using+bed+sheets+as+backdrops \$\endgroup\$
    – walen
    May 28, 2020 at 8:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ Unless you get into lighting, the color of the screen matters. If you use a green screen, you have to keep all the reflected green light out of your shot. If you use a screen that's the color of the background and environment, you don't have to use special lighting for it and it will add good lighting to your model \$\endgroup\$
    – moot
    May 28, 2020 at 16:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ Not an answer or an available solution at the moment, but it will be soon: youtube.com/watch?v=sTe_-YOccdM \$\endgroup\$
    – Nyos
    May 28, 2020 at 16:17

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Use a chromakey – “green screen” or “blue screen” – backdrop, and use a chromakey app on your iPhone or iPad to change the background to whatever you like.

A dedicated chromakey screen can be had for as little as $15 US, or you could just use a couple sheets from a roll of colored kraft paper.

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    \$\begingroup\$ If you want to be cheap, you can use a single-coloured bedsheet or similar as well \$\endgroup\$
    – planetmaker
    May 28, 2020 at 10:48
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What is the most cost effective way of recreating this effect at home - ideally using iPhone or iPad photo editing software.

Assuming you play in someone's home, and that someone is well equipped in the entertainment department, play in front of a very large TV, connected to a computer to display a chosen image.

This is very cost effective if you already have the computer and TV -- an HDMI cable to connect the two is around $20, and images are free(ish).

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    \$\begingroup\$ Very easy to end up with moire effect if you’re not careful. \$\endgroup\$
    – Tim
    May 28, 2020 at 8:15
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This can easily be done with pptx...where u can add a backdrop and superimpose your photo, removing elements you dont want. Using a sheet with a solid color will make even easier. Under format - you can select remove background - and the work is done for you...assuming you have PPTx

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Sorry, what is PPTx? \$\endgroup\$
    – Liath
    May 29, 2020 at 5:58
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    \$\begingroup\$ Did you just propose Power Points as a means to editing photos? O_o \$\endgroup\$
    – Kai Mattern
    May 29, 2020 at 10:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ Not for editing photos per se. You take your photo of your scenery....ideally with a sheet or other solid color backdrop. Then, if you have powerpoint pptx,, u paste the image in. Select remove background. Its a very simple tool, if you have no other software. You can then paste your inage over a background that matches your scene. Time permitting ill find an example on youtube or creare one later. \$\endgroup\$
    – Robert Rosenthal
    May 30, 2020 at 19:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Here is a youtube showing you how to remove backgrround in PPTx youtu.be/OpjvNhsM0aQ \$\endgroup\$
    – Robert Rosenthal
    May 30, 2020 at 20:56

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