Common Perceptions about Photography Background Types and Colors
You made an appointment to have a professional portrait or headshot photo shoot. You consulted with the photographer ahead of time about what to wear and bring, but now you are wondering whether to use a solid black, gray, or white background or a textured scenic background. You think black backgrounds might not work because they are too dark. You think white backgrounds are too stark, and you think gray backgrounds are boring and plain. You don’t like scenic backgrounds because they look too stuffy, dated, and antiquated. And shooting in the city can easily end up with too many distractions behind you. All of those perceptions hold a degree of truth, but they can also be made invalid, depending upon the photographer, lighting, and post processing. Here are some things to ponder when choosing a photography background and color:
Where the Image Will Reside
Lighting Gear and Usage Considerations
About Gray and White Photography Backgrounds
In summary, do have an open mind and select backgrounds based on the look and feel you want to achieve, wardrobe colors, and setting requirements… and then do a little research on preferences. Share them with your photographer. And have fun during your session experimenting with backgrounds and composition, if time allows. Sometimes, the best images from a session are not the ones expected. I tend to photograph required images first (i.e., specific client requests) and then based on time remaining, experiment with other backgrounds and looks. More than once I’ve heard, “oh… I love that image…I thought the ____ background would be too ___, but no! It’s my favorite!”