About us
La Imitola Backdrops was founded in Berlin in 2019 by artist Joan Imitola. We create exclusive hand-painted canvas backdrops for photographers, studios and film productions — pieces designed to bring texture, tone and atmosphereinto portraits, product shoots, editorials and sets.
We don’t believe in prints, repeats or shortcuts. Every canvas is painted by hand. Every surface is built to interact with light.
About the artist – Joan Imitola
Joan Imitola is the artist and founder behind La Imitola Backdrops. With a strong artistic background and years of experience in photography productions, she paints with two realities in mind: the craft of painting — and the practical demands of a working set.
Her style is defined by layering, restraint, and surface intelligence: canvases that hold highlights, soften shadows and add depth without stealing attention from the subject. The goal isn’t decoration. The goal is an atmosphere photographers can step into.
“For me, painting backdrops is more than technique. Each piece is a space where light and shadow, emotion and clarity come together. I want to create atmospheres photographers can step into places where stories unfold and images come alive.”
Our mission
Our mission is simple: to give photographers and visual storytellers tools that elevate the image without complicating the process.
A La Imitola backdrop is a way to add character without building a set. It brings depth, texture and authenticity into the frame — and helps create a consistent look across a series, a campaign or a production.
Whether you rent through our partner Ocean Studio Berlin or purchase your own canvas, you get a backdrop made to perform: under studio strobes, continuous light and the realities of production.
How We Work – A Collaborative Approach
These backdrops didn’t start as a product idea. They started as a studio need.
Many of the first pieces were created for my husband’s photography studio here in Berlin — designed for real shoots, real clients and real deadlines. Over time, other photographers and creatives saw them on set and asked for their own: a specific tone, a certain texture, a surface that fits their light.
That’s still how we work today: we don’t only paint “beautiful backdrops.” We listen to how you shoot portrait, product, editorial, film — and translate that into surfaces that do the job.
You can choose from a curated collection or commission a custom piece tailored to your vision.