The LA Shop (Sponsored Blog Post)

A couple of months ago I was contacted by theLAshop.com to do a review on one of their awesome products.  I got to choose from a list of several items.  The LA Shop sells photography and lighting equipment, tattoo equipment and even fun stuff like cotton candy, fondue and popcorn machines!  Since I'm a photographer and have always wanted a more legit set up for backdrops (you know, more legit than using push pins to tack a sheet to the wall on my kiddos' birthdays) I decided to try out something more practical.

I got my 8x10 foot portable photography background backdrop stand kit in the mail really quickly after ordering and was eager to use it.  I actually set it up right away and my kids were able to help me easily assemble it.  I took one quick picture and ended up not being able to do any more than that for nearly another month.

 In a series of chaotic life events, it has taken me about two months to finally have time to pull it out and really see the total dimensions of the product.  It comes in a totally compact case which my (nearly) four year old can easily lift (but thankfully not carry very far) and my husband finds to be just the right weight distribution to have started doing bicep curls with :)  This is perfect for tossing in the car and heading out to a job without a bunch of bulky equipment to handle.

 Inside are six very simple pieces and the assembly could not be easier.  Four rods fit into one another and then are suspended across two tripods.

I wanted to really see how big the frame could get, but for that, it had to be taken outside, because our house would not fit it.

The frame offers an awesome variety of dimensions.  It can be adjusted easily from 2.5 feet to 8.5 feet high and horizontally from 5 feet to 10 feet.  It can be adjusted by one person, though, if being used outdoors, I'd recommend two hands for steadying as I had a little trouble once I got it to full size.  My daughters were eager to model for me, so here are some of the dimension capabilities as compared to an average sized 7 year old.

I did have one small problem, which may have just been my particular set, since it only seemed to be a problem on one of the tripods.  The mechanism which allows stability of the tripod legs, would not tighten down enough for the legs to stay securely in place, so they slipped a little.  After trying to tighten it down too much,however, I could not then loosen it again, because the screw would just slip around. It is a flat-headed screw, there's no easy way to hold it while trying to loosen the plastic "wingnut."  Again, this only happened on one of the two, so it may just have been a fluke, but it makes adjusting one of the tripods very difficult since I can now neither tighten nor loosen it when needed.

Overall  I really like this product.  It can be moved easily from place to place, can be assembled and set up simply by just one person, and the versatility of dimensions allows use for photographing itty bitty newborns to large family groups, with up to only six pieces to put together at any given time.  The Portable Backdrop is priced at $69.99 and I believe it is worth the investment for photographers on the go and for moms, dads, grandparents or whoever would like an easier way to take more formal looking photos of their families!  Be sure to check out theLAshop.com for other great gift ideas, you will definitely find something for EVERYONE on your list!