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While on location its far more convenient for everyone involved if the background is chosen from whats available at the location - sometimes its amazing, and sometimes its...not. Its also harder to control the environment when its an on-location session, but beautiful images are always possible. 

 I am far more in control when in my studio - I love fabric and what it can bring to an image as a backdrop. My great-grandmother, grandmother and mother were seamstresses. Mom had a cabinet full of fabric and sewing supplies when I was little and I grew to like how fabric could play with  light or create a mood. That appreciation, paired with my love of DIY led me to create my own backdrops and props.  

These are a few of the fabrics I use for backdrops or props. I pulled a few, as I have a closet full of backdrops and props! In here is a is a gray and a brown faux suede that have amazing properties with light. There's also a piece of white fabric that drapes almost like liquid - perfect for boudoir. My favorite background that I've added over the last few months though is my black microvelvet. I call it my 'zero black' because I can shoot a ton of light around it and it absorbs every bit of it, allowing me to isolate my subject better. It can be pricey, but if you wait for sales (and can give it a go at piecing together large panels) you can save a lot and have a background that will last for years.