If you are focused on photography - and want to get your pictures to a whole new, higher level - the important thing to success is the photography background!

One of the important distinctions between beginner and expert photography is that the professional has learned to control and manipulate the photography background - where the beginner focuses all their consideration on the subject and usually just lets the background happen on its own.

Have you ever been so caught up with your model and lighting and so forth that (when you take a look at the completed photograph) you discover a huge garbage can - behind your subject - spilling refuse all over the ground? In every photo? Plus you never even noticed it during the photo session!

Or, have you been guilty of having tree branches appearing to erupt from the subject’s head, like antlers?

These are silly mistakes which are easily fixed and can promptly raise your photography’s effectiveness.

The unpleasant news is we don’t really perceive how much better our images are! Let’s face it; if you don’t have litter or antlers and so forth, you never pause to think how much better your photo is…you just don’t notice. Our attention only comes to bear if we overlook something and mess up (all of us do now and again).

If you want respect for your creative undertakings, you CANNOT allow these problems into your pictures. It is really an easy fix…only remember to consider the backdrop and all 4 corners inside the viewfinder before you click on the shutter button - then you tweak appropriately.

In case you have a difficult time remembering, take a strip of masking tape and record - in large black print - “CHECK THE BACKGROUND”. Then place the tape on the backside of your camera. This will help jog your memory you until it becomes a habit.

You will never realize how many photos you have rescued, however it’s worth the effort.

The next simplest photography background practice - to make your subject “pop” from the image - would be to isolate them.

I’m sure you have looked at pictures where the model is in clear, razor-sharp focus - however the backdrop is completely out of focus and is only a wash of color.

It’s accomplished by controlling the depth of field.

Depth of field establishes just how much of your photograph is in focus. You’ll find complete textbooks written concerning this subject (heck, I penned one myself!) but the easiest ways to achieve this “wash of color” method are to:

1. Make use of the longest focal length lens possible.
2. Open it up towards the widest aperture possible - this is the lowest f-stop numeral.
3. Make the backdrop as far to the rear of the model as is practicable. Or place the model as far in front of the background as you possibly can.

Without a doubt each one of the 3 steps has many variables. Through adjusting the choices presented to you, you can make your photography background as focused or de-focused as you feel like. There is not any right or wrong.

Completely out of focus, partially in focus, sharp as a tack…that is the point where your imaginative eye comes into the picture.

As soon as you’ve mastered the “in camera” methods of controlling the backdrops, after that it is time to consider getting some fabric backgrounds. This will give your projects a pro “photo studio” look.

A pretty good quality background can literally cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. So, instead of shelling out the big bucks, I like to recommend making your own. Luckily a photography background is simple to make and can be made for pennies on the dollar.

Put some effort into your photography background and you’ll be capturing professional level pictures very quickly.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 12:16 am and is filed under Arts, Entertainment and Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.