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What is a good background for a portrait?

What is a good background for a portrait?

The background of a portrait photo can make or break the overall look and feel of the image. Choosing an appropriate and aesthetically pleasing background helps bring focus to the subject, set the right mood, and elevate the portrait. When selecting a background, there are several factors to consider such as color, texture, simplicity, lighting, and relevance to the subject and intended use of the portrait. With some knowledge of effective portrait backgrounds, you can take your portrait photography to the next level.

Look for Simplicity

A background with too much visual noise and clutter will draw attention away from the subject. The focus should be entirely on the person, so choose a clean, simple background without a lot of prominent details and patterns. Solid colors, subtle textures, and blurred backgrounds all make excellent simple portrait backgrounds. Stay away from busy backgrounds with random objects and messy details.

Avoid Distracting Elements
Pay attention so that nothing in the frame pulls focus, like bright colors, hanging wires, patterned walls, messy rooms, etc. Scan the area and remove or reposition anything distracting. Also check for elements that may appear to be growing from the subject’s head. Keep the background as clean and neutral as possible.

Complimentary Colors

Color theory is important when selecting a background color. You generally want a color that provides separation between the subject and background while also complementing the subject’s skin tones, hair and eye color. Warm neutral tones like beige and tan work well for most. Cooler grays, blues and greens also pair nicely with warm skin tones. Avoid choosing a background color too similar to the subject’s skin and hair tones.

Subject Features Complimentary Background Colors
Warm skin tone Cool blue, green, gray
Cool skin tone Warm tan, beige, peach
Blonde hair Medium to dark blue, green, gray
Red hair Light blue, gray, beige
Dark hair Light peach, tan, light blue

Texture and Patterns

Subtle texture in a background can help make a portrait more interesting while still keeping focus on the subject. Brick walls, weathered wood, foliage, textured fabrics and canvas backdrops all add visual interest without being distracting. Make sure the texture isn’t too bold or chaotic. Simple patterns like stripes can also work, but avoid anything too ornate. Keep pattern size and scale small so it doesn’t overwhelm the frame.

Creative Lighting

Use creative lighting techniques to illuminate and shape the background itself. Side lighting brings out the contours and forms of textured surfaces. Backlighting makes translucent background materials glow. You can use gobos and flags to cast patterns and shadows. Colored gels can completely transform a scene. Pay attention to how the quality of light renders the background and use it to your advantage.

Relevant Environment

When appropriate, consider using the subject’s environment as the background. This could be their office, workshop, studio, or somewhere else relevant to who they are and what they do. Make sure it is clean and orderly. Busy environments are distracting, so focus on a tight composition. Environmental portraits convey additional information through the careful selection of authentic backgrounds.

Out of Focus

Blurring the background is a simple solution to keep attention on the subject. Use wide apertures, telephoto lenses, and shallow depth of field techniques. When done right, you get a clean, soft-focused background that fades away without being distracting. Make sure there is still sufficient separation between subject and background when blurring.

Negative Space

Don’t be afraid to use a lot of empty, negative space around the subject. Dramatic portraits can be created against minimalist backgrounds using the rule of thirds. Place the subject off center and allow the rest of the image to remain uncluttered. The empty space focuses attention without detracting.

Natural Scenes

Nature backgrounds like landscapes, fields, forests, bodies of water, and gardens make excellent environmental portrait settings. Position the subject for harmonious integration within the natural scene. Blurring foreground elements helps separate the subject from busy natural backgrounds. Avoid very bright, distracting colors. Try shooting at sunrise or sunset when lighting is soft.

Fill the Frame

Get close and fill the frame with your subject. Shoot a tight composition so the background is less significant. When possible, use a wide aperture for a blurred, abstracted background. The closer and more cropped into the subject, the less the background will factor, keeping focus on them.

Complementary Colors

Color theory is important when selecting a background color. You generally want a color that provides separation between the subject and background while also complementing the subject’s skin tones, hair and eye color. Warm neutral tones like beige and tan work well for most. Cooler grays, blues and greens also pair nicely with warm skin tones. Avoid choosing a background color too similar to the subject’s skin and hair tones.

Subject Features Complimentary Background Colors
Warm skin tone Cool blue, green, gray
Cool skin tone Warm tan, beige, peach
Blonde hair Medium to dark blue, green, gray
Red hair Light blue, gray, beige
Dark hair Light peach, tan, light blue

Creative Effects

Get creative with digital effects to transform any basic background into something more interesting. Try converting to black & white, boosting contrast, adding grain, or using creative filters like overlay textures. Things like light leaks, lens flares, vignettes, double exposures and motion blurs can make a background more artistic and eye catching.

Seamless Backdrops

For studio portraits with full control, seamless paper backdrops are perfect for clean, simple backgrounds. They come in an endless variety of colors and are easily changed out. Hang paper backdrops properly to avoid wrinkles and curves for a continuous, seamless surface. Light and position your subject at an appropriate distance from the backdrop to avoid shadows and separation.

Location Scouting

Search for interesting locations and architectural features to use as backgrounds. Old buildings, graffiti walls, fences, alleyways, and staircases often make great urban portrait locations. Make sure you aren’t trespassing and don’t damage property. See if a particular color scheme or aesthetic complements your subject’s look and style. Mix indoor and outdoor locations.

Creative Framing

Get creative with your framing and composition to incorporate your setting into the portrait background. Shoot through doorways, windows, around corners, under bridges, through fences, behind structures, and within natural framing elements like trees and reflections. Allow the foreground and background features to complement and accentuate the subject visually.

Leading Lines

Use lines within the scene to draw attention towards your portrait subject. Things like railroad tracks, fences, piers, roads, buildings, and anything with strong linear perspective can make great leading line backgrounds. Position your subject where the lines converge for best composition. Avoid clutter and ensure the lines themselves aren’t distracting patterns and shapes.

Shallow Depth of Field

One of the easiest ways to blur and obscure a background is by using a wide aperture for a shallow depth of field. Open up your lens to f/2.8 or wider (lower number) and position subject far enough from the background. A creamy, softened background puts 100% focus on the subject while providing some background context. Use an 85mm lens or longer for best background blur.

Continuous Surfaces

Unbroken backgrounds like a solid wall or ground surface help isolate the subject with minimal distractions. Continuous backgrounds with little detail also allow more control over lighting. Position subject at least a few feet in front of the background surface to avoid shadows and separation. White, black and gray are classic continuous surface colors.

Bokeh

Bokeh refers to the soft, blurred quality of out of focus points of light in a photo. Bokeh background can provide visual interest while still keeping focus on the subject. Try string lights, holiday lights, city lights, or little LED tealights to create colorful bokeh balls. Use a wide aperture for maximum background blur. Make sure foreground bokeh isn’t too distracting.

Creative Composition

Creative portrait framing can turn any background into an artistic element. Shoot through mirrors, windows, and around foreground objects to incorporate the setting into a layered composition. Create geometric frames within frames using architectural features. Use reflections as abstract backgrounds. Combine sharp foreground focus with blurred background elements.

Background Summary

The ideal portrait background complements the subject while remaining subtle. Keep it clean, simple and unfussy. Avoid busy patterns and distracting colors that compete with the person. Use natural lighting, creative framing, depth of field, and color theory to make an appropriate, cohesive background that enhances the mood and feel of the portrait. With some effort, you can turn any environment into an effective portrait setting.