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How to Photograph With Black Backdrops

Photography is an art form that uses light to paint pictures. There are many genres of this art, and the most enduring is the black and white photograph. The digital age has created new interest in the monotone genre because it's more accessible than ever. Traditional cameras required special film that was expensive and not readily available. Today's digital cameras generally have a black and and white setting or you can change your image to black and white with photo editing software. Taking your monotones against a black backdrop can be especially stunning.

Things You'll Need

Black backdrop
Camera
Lights
Subjects

Instructions

- 1
  Encourage your subjects to wear black attire for this particular shoot. These pictures are generally tight shots that include only the upper body so a black shirt or turtleneck will suffice.
- 2
  Set your lights up according to how may subjects you have. Your main light should be about three feet from the subject at a 45 degree angle. Position your second light behind the camera at eye level with your subject. If your subject has dark hair it is important to use a hair light to create separation between him and the background. Point the hair light toward the top of the subjects head. If you have multiple subjects you may need a couple hair lights.
- 3
  Set your camera to the black and white setting so you can preview your work. Make sure there are no shadows. If there are, move your subject closer to the backdrop.
- 4
  Edit your photos with your photo editing software. If there are shadows you didn't see in your test shots you can airbrush them with black paint. You can also apply a spotlight to your subject to separate her from the black backdrop.
- 5
  Present your pictures to the client in a monotone frame to further the impact. These images are timeless and go with almost any decorating scheme. Encourage all your clients to include a few of these shots in each sitting.

Photography