How to create a black background?

[g3ck0]

Hi guys, I'm prtty new to photography so bear with me here. I always see nice photos of portraits or even simple objects set against a pitch black background. How is this achieved? If I buy black paper or black cloth, under normal light, you see the cloth pattern behind it, it looks a little grey-ish if you know what I mean. How do you guys make it perfectly black so that the audience only concentrates on the main subject in the photo?

[gjl711]

A black background is one way but you can do the same with just about any background. Just light the subject and not the background.

[luigis]

Underexpose the background big way and use flash for the subject one of many ways.

[g3ck0]

Underexpose the background big way and use flash for the subject one of many ways.

So just underexpose in general but use flash to light up the subject? Wouldn't the flash 'sip' on to the blackground though making it look grey?

[gjl711]

So just underexpose in general but use flash to light up the subject? Wouldn't the flash 'sip' on to the blackground though making it look grey?
Gotta control your flash.

[g3ck0]

Gotta control your flash.

I just have the standard on-camera flash that comes on my XSI.

[gjl711]

I just have the standard on-camera flash that comes on my XSI.
That makes it tougher. move tha background farther away, you can soften the flash a bit by draping a tissue over the flash or put a diffuser in front of it.

[g3ck0]

ok, I'll try it out thanks!

[gooble]

Move the background farther away or move the light source closer to the subject. Thanks to light falloff you could for example halve the power needed to keep the same exposure while more than doubling your light reduction on the background. The closer your light source though, the larger it needs to be in relation to the subject.

[highbarger]

Black velvet is a good material to use for a pure black background. It 'absorbs' the light rather than reflect it. The price for a large piece, however...

[Wilt]

Simply ensure adequate distance between subject and background, so that the Inverse Square Rule of light fall off permits sufficient decrease in intensity that the b/g is -2.5EV in relative intensity. If light to subject is 4', then additional 7' back (light to b/g distance 11') provides -3EV in falloff, for example.

[dcsmith40D]

Simply ensure adequate distance between subject and background, so that the Inverse Square Rule of light fall off permits sufficient decrease in intensity that the b/g is -2.5EV in relative intensity. If light to subject is 4', then additional 7' back (light to b/g distance 11') provides -3EV in falloff, for example.

That was deep.

[PhotosGuy]

That was deep. Wilt doesn't wade near the shore! :D

[dcsmith40D]

Wilt doesn't wade near the shore! :D

I guess not.:)

[tonylong]

I was going to say something but I dozed off:)!

[LowriderS10]

+1 for black velvet...it's the closest known material humans have created to a black hole...

[HuskyKMA]

Simply ensure adequate distance between subject and background, so that the Inverse Square Rule of light fall off permits sufficient decrease in intensity that the b/g is -2.5EV in relative intensity. If light to subject is 4', then additional 7' back (light to b/g distance 11') provides -3EV in falloff, for example.

I come on here to get a break from my homework, and you throw math and physics at me. :(

[PhotosGuy]

Take a break with these:

Varying effect of gels on white and black backgrounds (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=162431)

Same white background - different looks (http://www.zarias.com/?p=70)

More of his white seamless tutorials (http://www.zarias.com/?cat=13)

White Seamless Tutorial :: Part 1 :: Gear & Space (http://www.zarias.com/?p=71)

[Mike]

I have used a few different ways to get a black background.

For this shot, I hung my black fleece over the back of a chair and set the match in a clamp on a metal tray in front. My living room was quite dark and having already spot metered from another lit match I knew what shutter speed I wanted.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/3001825865_85b647962c_o.jpg

For this shot I used a light tent which has a black nylon background. I lit the scene with a lamp from the side. In pp I pushed the contrast and darkened the blacks a little to make the background fully black.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/9760/homestudio6of14sa1.jpg

More from that series and a shot of the setup can be found here: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=593873

[Wilt]

I come on here to get a break from my homework, and you throw math and physics at me. :(


Then simply pick up a point and shoot and leave it in Green Box mode for the non-thinker! :)

[gooble]

With these I had a couple 60 watt lamps 1-1 1/2 feet from subject and a black fleece hung in the background about 4-5 feet away.

[PhotosGuy]

For this shot I used a light tent which has a black nylon background. I lit the scene with a lamp from the side. In pp I pushed the contrast and darkened the blacks a little to make the background fully black. Try leaving some light on the background.

Negative Lighting – a simple technique that makes a big difference! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70824)

[Mark1]

The main points have already been mentioned so ill just recap!

Use a black velvet background, but keep the subject at a distance. Very cheep at a fabric store. just keep your lights on the subject with none pointed at the background. This will allow the background to fall into "nothing".

Underexpose ACCORDING TO THE NEEDLE. If the subject is properly exposed, technically it is not underexposed. However when you do the average, i.e. meter, it will be underexposed. You will have to shoot and chimp to get it right if you don't have a hand held meter.

Its that simple!

[mindchatter]

8 yards of matailal from walmart for $22.00 U.S. So far so good.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3291/2951378593_f132776c6c_o.jpg