When you’re photographing a portrait, the background matters, it’s not just about setting the mood for your subject and viewers; it’s also about highlighting the face with colors and textures that complement their skin tone and hair color (or lack thereof). As you can imagine, this can be a bit tricky—especially if you’re trying to do all of this on your own! So here are some tips for choosing backdrops that enhance portraits rather than distract from them.
Choosing the right backdrop sets the mood for a portrait
When you’re choosing backdrops for portraits, make sure to keep the following in mind:
- Backdrops should set the mood for a portrait. A simple backdrop will help enhance the photos and make them look more polished. Distracting or busy backgrounds can take away from your subject matter and make it difficult to focus on what’s important—your subject!
- Keep it simple. When choosing a background for portraits, make sure that it complements but does not overpower your subject (even if they’re inanimate objects like food). If you have an object with strong color patterns, try pairing them with muted tones that won’t compete with each other visually—or consider using more neutral colors like white or gray instead of adding another layer of complexity by using contrasting colors within one shot. It’s best when there are no competing elements at all; otherwise, we could end up getting confused about what we’re supposed to look at!
- Inclusion vs exclusion: Sometimes people think that photographing their subjects against a wall covered completely with paper would look better than having nothing behind them whatsoever, but sometimes this isn’t true! Sometimes including too much around us makes us feel claustrophobic because there are too many things happening at once all around us; so even though something may seem attractive at first glance (like having lots going on in front), don’t be afraid about cutting off some corners by removing some unnecessary details from your surroundings as well (like these tacky frames hanging above our heads).
Know your subject and your goal
When choosing a backdrop, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
- Know your subject and your goal. In other words, know what you’re trying to achieve with this photo shoot and what the end result should look like. Do you want a portrait that looks like an epic landscape? A cozy living room scene? A beach vacation photo album? Knowing this will help guide your decision-making process when choosing a background.
- Keep it simple. Unless you are working on an especially large scale project, avoid using complicated backdrops or props in favor of something more subtle—it can be distracting if there are too many elements vying for attention in one shot! Instead of going crazy with detail (and running out of space), try something subtler like having someone hold up pieces of colored paper or curtains on either side of their face while posing for pictures; this will add some dimension without being distracting from the subject itself!
Backdrops can make or break a portrait, so choose carefully!
- Backdrops can make or break a portrait. If you’re looking for the best way to add some flair and interest to your photo, beautiful photography backdrops are one of the most effective ways.
- Backdrops can be used to enhance the subject or as the main focus of a photo. You may want something subtle and soft that brings out their features or bold with bright colors that draw attention away from them and onto something else in your scene.
- Choose carefully! There are so many options these days; it’s easy to get overwhelmed by them!
Use backdrops to enhance the photo, not as a focal point
When choosing a backdrop for a portrait, think of it as the background. It should enhance your subject, not compete with them. The ideal backdrop will help the subject stand out and make the image more interesting to look at, but it shouldn’t be so bold that it distracts from their appearance or personality.
As far as color goes, I recommend staying away from anything too bright or dark—you want something that will blend in without competing with your subject matter too much. And when I say “not too bright,” I’m talking about white backgrounds; they can end up looking flat and washed out on camera if you don’t position them correctly.
Think about lighting
The next step is to think about lighting. The time of day that you’re taking the photo will determine how much light there is and where it falls. If you take a portrait during the middle of the day, when there are no shadows and lots of direct sunlight, then you might need to use a reflector to bounce light into your subject’s face, so they look more evenly lit. If you’re shooting at sunset or on an overcast day, then adding a flash behind or beside your subject can help fill in any shadows created by harsh daylight. However, if you’re shooting indoors with artificial lighting (or taking photos after sunset), then using a flash may cause unwanted reflections on shiny surfaces such as jewelry or glassware—and it’s best not to use one at all!
It also helps if your camera has advanced settings like aperture priority mode so that you can adjust how much light reaches each part of your image independently from others.
There are so many different options for backdrops! It can be overwhelming, but once you know what kind of backdrop to use and what the benefits are, it’s easy to make an informed decision.
