Strategic Backgrounds
Last week, I discussed how a simple background can help feature the subject in your photos. Today, I want to give you a few tips on strategically selecting a photo background from the available choices.
Three components of a background that you may be able to select strategically are clutter level, color, and light.
Clutter-level
99 times out of 100, I am looking for a simple, “clean” background. Not in the sense that it’s free from dirt. Clean, in the sense that it is non-distracting and straightforward. As we discussed last week in my article Minimal, I don’t want the background to distract me from the subject. When photographing a subject indoors, I regularly move distracting elements in the background to simplify the scene. When shooting outdoors, I hunt diligently for a clean background free from street lamps, benches, cars, houses, etc.
This photo, while still beautiful, has a rather busy background.
This photo, from the same shoot, has a simple, clean background allowing our eye to take in the subject fully without distraction.
Color
The second element of a background that you potentially have control over is color. The color of the background you select can affect the overall mood of the photo.
Light, muted colors = brighter photos with a high-end, joyful mood
The light colors will reflect light well, creating more even light all around in the space
This photo taken in the bridal suite at The Barn at Stoneybrooke is bright, joyful and has a high-end feel.
Dark colors = darker photos with a moody, dramatic feel
The dark colors do not reflect the light well making for more of a “one-light” (think flashlight) effect creating dramatic highlights and shadows. This look is particularly beautiful in black and white.
This photo from the same wedding day has a moodier feel due to the dark background (our best option in the rain) and so I changed up the posing and feel and messaging of the entire photograph.
Bright/colorFUL = can be bright or dark depending on the light and how the end photo is developed but generally speaking, colorful backgrounds create a playful feel.
Senior sessions always feel a little more playful to me as we express the individual personality….making colorful backgrounds an easy choice when available.
There is no good/bad, better/best when it comes to selecting your background color, just intention for the type of message you are creating with the end result photograph.
Light
The light you put your subject in along with the light in the background will also affect the photo drastically in a very technical way.
The background could be in bright sun, shade, lamp light, soft light, intense light. You may not always have control over the light you have available to you in any certain situation but you do have control over how you use it to your advantage or disadvantage. Again, there is no real right or wrong ways to use the light, just intention for the end result. And, as discussed in my article The 6 Qualities of Light, consistency is key. If you want to be able to create your style no matter what, you need to learn how to use the weather and light you have available in any situation.
Any excuse to sneak in a photo of my little Rita :-)
My photography style being “subject-focused,” the background is always they last choice I make when deciding where to place my subject. But, understanding how the background can affect the end result of the photo makes me work extra hard to find BOTH the light I want to use to create my style consistently AND a background that will help me tell the story of that particular photograph.
Next week, I’m taking you back to elementary school science class to bring up topics you never thought you would use again.
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