Photography By Michelle

Certainly one of the simplest ways to separate your work from “the crowd” is to concentrate more on your photography background.

Contemporary cameras are so highly developed that almost everybody can get a reasonably exposed, in focus photo. Note, I said reasonably exposed as well as in focus …even when using the super technology we have today, we nevertheless have to find out a bit about good, old fashioned photography procedures so that you can rise above the crowd at the snapshot level and begin moving into the realm of fine art.

First up is a method for giving your photos a pro look. Which is done with a pro photography background.

Let us face it, if you have a gorgeous, white, black or hand painted “Old Masters” style background, you will instantly shoot ahead of the snapshot crowd and can quickly develop into the go to shooter in the area.

As soon as your relatives and friends want a nice photo, they’re going to think of YOU. (And, they’re going to stop hiding when they notice you approaching – you KNOW what I mean.)

The best part regarding using a photography background is that it makes it possible to have power over what is happening to the rear of your model. There will be no more “horns” sticking out of the head – no more distracting elements like traffic, other people or just garbage on the ground.

One perceived downside to using a photography background is that everybody assumes you must use a great big photo studio including a bunch of expensive pro lighting to make it work.

This isn’t the situation!

Aided by the well thought-out use of your on camera flash, a few reflectors and perhaps even a mirror or mirror finished plastic, it is possible to produce the equivalent of a five light arrangement!

I have seen it accomplished and on the finished photo, you cannot tell it was all reflectors and mirrors.

By the way, as opposed to your on camera flash, an identical effect could be accomplished using the sun as your light source. Drape your background over the branches of a tree, employ several reflectors and fire away! Your family members will think it was all done in a photo studio!

The essentials that ought to be in every photographer’s collection are – at the very minimum – a white background, a black one and then a gray “Old Masters” variety.

The white one generally is a bed sheet, piece of muslin, canvas or any other white fabric. Do not fold it up or you will not like the results – the white will have a tendency to show wrinkles and creases. To start with, iron the background and then we roll it onto a cylindar. (Get some PVC piping at any nearby “do it yourself” store. Something like three or four inches in diameter should work nicely.)

The black photography background can once more be any type of fabric, but “Duck Canvas” is my favorite. Using black, wrinkles are not as much of a problem, however the background – actually every one of your backgrounds – ought to be rolled up as well.

For the “Old Masters” variety, I like to recommend gray since by striking it with a colored light source, gray is an easy color to modify. In this way, you can also make any color background you desire.

Test buying some photography background fabric and shoot some pictures of a loved one. You will not look back!