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Good portrait shots highlight your subject above all else, and the background color you choose helps convey the mood and tone of your photo.
But how do you know which portrait background color is the best and why? Let’s start by taking a look at different color options and how you can use them to create the best portraits possible.
- Black backgrounds convey a serious and dark mood. Black is best when used for photographing a solo subject. It’s the perfect background color for headshots, along with both white and gray. Black is considered an elegant and stylish choice because of its ability to make bright colors stand out. Not to mention it’s an easier background color to master if you’re going for pure color accuracy in your subject.
- White is popular for a reason. It’s clean, bright, and pure, making it perfect for photographing babies, families, pets, and solo subjects. You can also use gels — colorful, transparent materials you can attach to your lights — to change the color of the light to whatever you want. The largest obstacle you’ll run into is getting your camera to pick up a solid consistency (i.e., your white background can easily look gray in places if it isn’t evenly lit according to your camera’s sensor). This makes it one of the trickier background colors to work with.
- Gray is a great neutral color for portraits, and you can change the shade simply with how much light you use: more light (or closer light) can make it nearly white; low light (or farther light) can turn it black. Gray also takes on colors from gels really well. It’s also not distracting, so it allows the subject to really stand out.
- Red is a great way to create dramatic effects that spark emotion. In some color-theory tests, red backgrounds have the ability to incite hunger. That is one of the reasons it is used in restaurant decor.
- Yellow backgrounds work great if your goal is to display a portrait that is warm, energetic, and happy. This color is intense, but it can also be offset with contrasting colors.
- Green gives an earthy tone to a portrait. It’s natural, hopeful, and, like blue, can portray a sense of calm. But choose your shade wisely. Yellowish shades can look sickly, which works great for sci-fi, and bluish shades like teal can create a sense of peace and calmness.
- Blue is calming and is a popular choice for photos of people, as it contrasts nicely with many skin tones and warm colors. It’s versatile and conveys a feeling of tranquility. Blue is known to suppress the appetite, so it shouldn’t be used for food photography.
- Purple backgrounds are the perfect choice to provide a sense of whimsy, making it the ideal color for photographing children or products. A deep, rich purple is associated with royalty and power, which lends itself perfectly to fashion shoots.
Now that you know which color background works best for specific types of portrait photography, here’s a chart you can print and use as an easy reference for your studio.
But remember, these aren’t rules; the color you choose depends on your subject and the mood you want your photo to convey.
For example, when it comes to pets or animals, think of their coloring and the mood you want, then choose a complementary color to really make them stand out. If your dog is brown, you may want to choose a blue or a green shade rather than white or gray.
Also, try to take into account what a person is wearing and their skin tone. Take shots on different color backgrounds and see which color works best.
Have fun playing around with colors and see what fits your style best. There’s no need to only use black or white backgrounds for portraits! This is your art, after all, so don’t be afraid to experiment and make it your own.
Originally published at https://www.smugmug.com.
