Photography Tip - Use Backgrounds Effectively to Get Great Photographs

The two backgrounds to the left easily illustrate the importance of choosing a good background for your subject. Do I need to say anymore? Probably yes.

When choosing a good subject it’s almost as important to choose a good background. This is so for many photos but not all. The reason for this is that a background can make or break your photo.

Let’s take a look at a few points that will help you to create an image that has a background which makes your photo.

1. Contrast
This is absolutely vital to any photo. A subject has to be contrasted with the background. The eye must be able to identify the subject against the background. If it doesn’t do this the subject will get lost.

2. Competition
There should be no competition between background and subject. When viewing an image you should immediately be able to identify the subject. Your background must never compete with the subject for attention. Look at the top image of the stop sign. Which is more important? The sign or the beautiful flowers?

3. Complementing
The background should always complement the subject helping it to feature the subject and show it off.

4. Colour
This is linked to point 3 and vital to any photo. The background colour should always complement the subject colour. Look how dramatically the stop sign stands out against the vivid blue sky. Colour here is especially important as bad combinations will degrade the final image.

5. Choice
Always choose your backgrounds carefully and give them a lot of thought. The success of this choice will make or break the image.

When an artist starts a new painting on a blank canvas the first thing he gives thought to is the background. It’s upon this that he will build the rest of the painting. The background actually supports the subject and makes it a success.

So, when deciding on a scene carefully look at what is in the background, how it relates to your subject and whether it complements it.

Brittany has been writing articles for nearly 1 year. Come visit her latest website about bedspreads coverlets and find sales, specials, and deals on bedspreads coverlets.