Shooting with a black seamless background

[BigD74]

I am going to be shooting with a black seamless background and am wondering what is the best way to keep it looking black instead of dark gray? I am going to be using 2 strobes. The model will also be wearing black.

[TMR Design]

Hi BigD74,

The best way to keep the black background looking black is to have good separation between the subject area and the background. Additionally, close lighting the subject will also keep falloff to a minimum and your subject area lighting won't reach the background.

[Kristy]

Since the model is wearing black, you might want to try to use a reflector as a hair/shoulder light to help with separation from the background.

Be sure you have no ambient light coming through a window or whatever... try to close off all light except that firing from your strobes.

Robert is right on the money with separation.. if you can get 5 or 6 feet (or more) from the backdrop you should be fine. :)

Hope you have fun!! :)

[viperx27]

it helps to have the light source closer to he subject, even if that means closer to the background. the way light fall off works the background will go darker as you need a lower aperture to begin with.

[bagtagsell]

you can make colored background or even white backgrounds black using these same principles.

[TMR Design]

With all due respect, if someone is asking how to keep a black background looking black then these 'simple principles' are new them.

To learn and understand, while also getting the results you want I suggest you first work with a black background and concentrate on keeping it black. Once you've mastered that and have an understanding of light falloff then you can turn gray or even white background black. For the novice, however, it can be quite daunting.

[BigD74]

Thanks for the responses. The distance from the background could be a bit of a problem as I am shootnig in my garage and am limited in lenght but will try to get more distance. I wish I was using a FF instead of crop sensor.

[TMR Design]

You can still have a black background. You're going to want to do very close lighting and direct your lights so that you are not directly hitting the background behind the subject area. It takes some playing but you can feather your lights to give you as much directional light on the subject and little spill to the background.

[BigD74]

Thanks again. I will be trying it tomorrow.

[Curtis N]

A garage should be plenty big enough. And I don't know what sensor size has to do with anything.

[themirage]

my guess is a larger sensor makes for a wider shot reducing the distance he has to stand back from the model.

[Curtis N]

my guess is a larger sensor makes for a wider shot reducing the distance he has to stand back from the model.Could be. But as long as the lights aren't connected to the camera, that won't affect the ability to keep the background black.

[themirage]

it will let him move the lights and subject further from the background. That will help reduce the spill onto the backdrop.

[BigD74]

Exactly what I meant. I have limited space to move myself and the person being photographed

[Curtis N]

You've got lenses as short as 18mm.
A different camera format won't solve any problems here.
It's about where the lights are and how they're aimed, where the subject is, and where the background is.