It was almost a year ago when my photo enthusiast friend asked me to go to Vistek’s ProFusion in Toronto: “PLEEEAAASE go with me; I don’t want to go by myself!” Not that I didn’t want to go, but there was so much else going on with life and work at the time… so I said yes. How could I not be there for my friend in her hour of desperation? So we made plans, squeezed in between all the other plans, and road-tripped ourselves down for the day. Little did I know what was waiting for me there.
As we wandered around ooohing and ahhhhing at all the gear, I was contemplating a new lens (on sale there, no less). But then we came to a booth that immediately had all my attention. It looked like, it seemed to be, yes it was: a portable, changeable cyclorama, the Easiframe® curved fabric framework. I had been needing a better backdrop system for my studio, and could this fit my personal fussy fit?
I specialize in headshots and portraits, with expansions into closely related branding and website photos. This meant I often needed full body shots on a plain background, among other things. I know there are a lot of ways to achieve this, but I did mention personal fussiness. A built cyclorama was out of the question for both me and my studio. I’ve worked with paper, and while there are some great paper systems out there, wrinkles drove me a little batty, and they weren’t as suitable as I’d like for location work. Then I would have to throw away used paper after a while. I tend to gravitate toward items that are versatile, reusable and, well, unwrinkle-able. Cloth on the floor tended to move around, which was fine for some things, but not others.
So when I saw the EasiFrame® setup, I was all ears, eyes and questions. Richard Wang, owner and designer, was there and all my questions were answered; then it was “Take-my-money-please!” (The lens would have to wait!) It has been hands-down one of my best purchases. Usability, versatility, simplicity–they all hold hands and play very nicely in this product. It is also fully customizable–what kind of background do you need? It has been a game-changer for me, and I have reorganized my studio accordingly. Lightweight and surprisingly rugged, the Easiframe® goes together and comes apart with, well, ease and speed. It’s designed so that the little screws stay right in the framework itself–you can’t lose them (yay for all of us who know who we are!). The only tool needed is the little Allan key. I can set it up by myself, and two people at it are very fast.
The backdrops are termed skins, and the way their silicon edging glides into and out of the frame is rather addictive. The skins stay quite taut and smooth; look, Ma, no crinkly wrinkles! (You can easily smooth out foot-made ones if you want to; I sometimes leave those in for texture.) The material is machine washable and made to last. Whether I’m shooting dancing kids, stilettoed CEOs or repositioning a heavy table for a product shoot, Easiframe®’s skins can take it, with style. (Ask Richard about the car shoot where they drove right over the base! Didn’t wreck anything, but you have to hear–and see–him tell it).
My clients love it, too. They come in, immediately notice it, and comment or ask about it. What’s important about that? We all know it’s not the gear, it’s the photographer. BUT when a client walks into my studio, and something elevates their expectation, it also does something to raise their own feeling of confidence in front of the camera. I specialize in headshots, so confidence in front of the camera is critical. Along with the expression coaching I do, I found this to be a bonus to my Easiframe®.
Richard and his company are always on the lookout to develop ideas and innovations to meet our backdrop pain points. He has already developed one extension to raise the height or the depth of the frame, so that the same skin can be used with more height or depth, depending on which you need at the time. And now there’s another extension to make the whole frame larger (already three skins available for this size).
In case you were still wondering, I love my Easiframe®. Elegant in the simplicity of its design, efficient and relatively light for location, sturdy and versatile, it checks so many boxes for me, and has greatly added value to my work for both myself and my clients. The company has fantastic support, and genuinely listens to feedback. And now that it’s distributed in Canada (thank you, Amplis!), well, that makes it “Easier” than ever.
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About the Author – Lynda J. Chan
Lynda J. Chan is a headshot and portrait photographer with her studio based in Orillia, Ontario. A three time finalist in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, she ventured into the most self-conscious creature of all–and fell in love with working with clients who hated getting their photos done. And then getting them shots they do love. Other genres and compositing add a good dash of cross-training for her in skill development and creativity.
Originally from New Brunswick on the East Coast, Lynda spent 17 years living abroad in Japan and Iceland (before it was popular), and did a fair bit of travel around the world as well over that time. Not to mention had five kids! All of whom have been bribed with Chinese takeout at one time or another to be models. Conversations with others are occasionally punctuated with “Oooohhh, that light on you just there was so lovely for a portrait!”
