EX77 Improving your backgrounds

I often talk about my search for clean backgrounds when I am out photographing as opposed to the search for subjects to photograph. This isn’t really a joke. Though I am looking for the right subject that has a great background. Both the background and the subject are equally important.

There are a number of things you can do to improve your backgrounds. These are:

• Checking your background before taking the photograph

• Moving your subject or even choosing your background before you consider the subject (this is a portrait photographers tip)

• Changing your shooting angle

• Using a faster aperture to blur the background

• Use a longer telephoto lens to blur the background

• Separate the subject from the background with a greater distance between them

• Fill the frame with the subject so there is no visible background or it is considerably reduced

• Make your own background (black, white or other)

• Shoot against the light (ie right into the sun with the subject blocking the sun)

• Shoot with the subject in brighter light against a background that is in less light

• Photoshop the background out

The summary was:

• The background is always important in your photograph

• Spend time considering it before taking the photograph

• The background and subject are equally important in producing a great photograph

• Use the background to separate the subject and isolate it visually.

This weeks exercise is a bit of leg work on your behalf, making sure you can learn to control the background and consider its impact on your photographs.

Part One

Take three photographs of the same subject. One with a white background, another with a black background and the final one on a more natural background. Which one suits your subject more? Perhaps your answer is neither. Post all three results as a set of three.

Part Two

Create photographs with the same subject and actively vary the background to see what you get away with to create resolved photographs. Post at least two photographs of the same subject with different backgrounds.

As to how to do these? Well that is up to you, any technique you choose to use is valid, we will be examining the whole photograph in its context when we critique it.

Almost black background using cave light. Juliet at the front of a cave, and the background at the rear of the cave.

Magdolina photographed against the sun. Her head blocks the sun and the sky is blown out into white for the majority of the background.

Gothic meets the renaissance, the model is placed near a screen and a lamp to add a false background to the portrait. See the behind the scenes shot below.

Here you can see the set up to add the background used above.

Here is a purely black background created with black corduroy.

Here is a white one also done in the studio by adding extra lighting to the white backdrop

Dogwoods with a soft background.

Dogwoods against a sky and lighter background

Dark background dogwood

Photography and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2020