Background Role in Photograph

The background in a photograph is the most important visual element, second to the subject. Hair, make-up, clothes, and the foreground, are worthless without the proper background. Photographers shouldn't ignore these other elements of an image, but they should always be aware of the background and how it will appear in the final photograph.

It is not uncommon to find "pictures" of models in bikinis posed next to a wooden picket fence in someone's backyard. Not only is this unprofessional photography, but a busy background detracts from the model and appear as junk in an image.Don't feel bad if you've done this, many photographers start out this way. If you must shoot a model in a bikini, and there is no proper background, use a plain white background and increase the background light source one f-stop more than the model's main light, and expose for the model.

Make it look like a fashion shoot with a glamour touch.I tend to shoot all my photographs in my natural surroundings, including my back or front yard, living room, bathtub, or any area I feel comfortable in converting to a temporary studio. My location is my studio. Because of this, backgrounds are always the first challenge.
One way to deal with distracting backgrounds is to use a shallow depth of field so the viewer will focus on the model, not the backgraound. In a good photograph, the background is separated from the model, unless there is a reason to give the background as much importance as the model.A photographer can achieve this subject separation with longer lenses that naturally have a narrow angle of view, providing for shallow depth-of-field and slight compression. Another way to subdue the background is to use a neutral density filter to allow a wider aperture for faster film speeds or bright backgrounds. Focusing is critical in these situations with no depth of field--focus sharply on the model's eyes.

If a photograper must shoot a model in a bikini in their backyard without a swimming pool, the photographer should make sure there are no picket fences, telephone poles, or tree branches growing out of the model's head. This is the second most common mistake found in "pictures." This is never found in "photographs." Photographers should always be aware of their background in a scene and know the role the background plays in the finished product--create photographs, not pictures. Prior to a shoot a photographer should pre-visualize the scene including the role the background plays, so the photographer can spend more time on the model's "smile." Photographers should always remember one basic rule, there will always be a background in a photograph and junk in a picture.