Photek's "Background in a Bag" Question

[Renee Brown]

Hi All,

The holidays are almost here and my son wants to buy me the Background in a Bag from Photek, which is on my wish list.

I am learning Grisaille and Verdaccio and I want to created the Old Masters look with my portraits. (Karin, I hope you are around to answer this question, since your backgrounds are what I am striving for). I have my studio lighting setup now and it is time to concentrate on the background fabric.

The problem is do I go for the 8' x 12' setup or is the 6' x 7' easier to transport and handle? Is that enough fabric and is the setup wide enough in most cases? Also, there are several color choices. I am leaning toward the black "People Popper" setup they offer. Especially, since that dramatic light effect is what I desire.

Is the black background too harsh? How many of you use the neutral color? Plus, can I get the dark, warm shadows with the old master look by lighting into a neutral backround color? Or is the black background the best choice?

Renee