In photography, the right backdrop can make or break an image. A perfectly captured portrait that sits against a cluttered, distracting backdrop is not going to work well for you. Yet, the same black and white backdrop used by countless photographers is not going to help your work stand apart. Here are some tips to help you change things up with a great backdrop that also helps your work stand out.
What Makes a Great Backdrop?
The first step in finding a backdrop is considering what makes a great one. If you are shooting against a vinyl or fabric backdrop, then look for something that doesn’t have a busy pattern reminiscent of your 1980s school photos. Solid colors or simple patterns that draw the eye to the subject are best.
Nature also makes a wonderful backdrop. Slightly blurred foliage behind your subject works beautifully for portraits. Even a tree or patch of grass in your own backyard can work well. Include a rough wood fence for additional character.
Edgy photographs are quite popular now as well. Add some edge to your image by choosing a gritty urban backdrop, like a brick wall downtown or a graffiti-clad train car.
Surprising Backdrops in Everyday Items
Some photographers are stuck in the rut of using fabric backdrops. While these work well for studio shots, there are great backdrops easily found throughout your community.
To start the search, head to your local park. Look for bridges, fences, brick walls and abundant foliage. All of these work extremely well for backdrops. Not only do they add character to your picture, but they also give your subject something to lean against in many cases.
Doors are also excellent. A colorful door provides a natural frame for a picture. Some doors have interesting patterns that complement your subjects, while others add character to the picture simply because of how old they are.
Don’t limit yourself to what you can find nearby, either. You can use a green screen to digitally impose a backdrop onto your image. If you live in the flatlands but want to see what the mountains would look like as a backdrop, find a quality image of the mountains and add it in on top of the green screen. Partner with other photographers in different locations to swap these types of backdrop images. You can use a digital file storage system to keep track of the different backdrop images you have collected to use in this way, so you will always have the image you want easily available.
Photography Tips
As you shoot against various backdrops and backgrounds, keep these tips in mind.
What Makes a Great Backdrop?
The first step in finding a backdrop is considering what makes a great one. If you are shooting against a vinyl or fabric backdrop, then look for something that doesn’t have a busy pattern reminiscent of your 1980s school photos. Solid colors or simple patterns that draw the eye to the subject are best.
Nature also makes a wonderful backdrop. Slightly blurred foliage behind your subject works beautifully for portraits. Even a tree or patch of grass in your own backyard can work well. Include a rough wood fence for additional character.
Edgy photographs are quite popular now as well. Add some edge to your image by choosing a gritty urban backdrop, like a brick wall downtown or a graffiti-clad train car.
Surprising Backdrops in Everyday Items
Some photographers are stuck in the rut of using fabric backdrops. While these work well for studio shots, there are great backdrops easily found throughout your community.
To start the search, head to your local park. Look for bridges, fences, brick walls and abundant foliage. All of these work extremely well for backdrops. Not only do they add character to your picture, but they also give your subject something to lean against in many cases.
Doors are also excellent. A colorful door provides a natural frame for a picture. Some doors have interesting patterns that complement your subjects, while others add character to the picture simply because of how old they are.
Don’t limit yourself to what you can find nearby, either. You can use a green screen to digitally impose a backdrop onto your image. If you live in the flatlands but want to see what the mountains would look like as a backdrop, find a quality image of the mountains and add it in on top of the green screen. Partner with other photographers in different locations to swap these types of backdrop images. You can use a digital file storage system to keep track of the different backdrop images you have collected to use in this way, so you will always have the image you want easily available.
Photography Tips
As you shoot against various backdrops and backgrounds, keep these tips in mind.
- Meter to faces, not backdrops. If your backdrop is quite a bit darker than your subject, such as when shooting against a dark wood door, you will need to be certain that the camera meters on the subject’s faces. Use additional off-camera lighting or reflectors to illuminate your subjects' faces so they are not overshadowed by the backdrop.
- Don’t be afraid of post-processing. Invest in quality software to allow you to process your pictures. If you need to clean up your backdrop a bit, you can easily do so in these programs.
- Play with angles to get the backdrop right. If you are shooting against something like a fence or bridge, make sure the background is not distracting. If it is, move around your subject to get a better shot while keeping the integrity of the background.
- Blur the backdrop using the aperture. The smaller the aperture, the blurrier your backdrop will be. Anything under an f/4 will give you a deliciously blurry background for portraits.
- Don’t forget to print your work. Part of what makes photography so fun is the actual printed image displayed in your home or in an album.
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