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Whether capturing portraits or shooting real estate interior photos, some photographer might want to remove the distracting background so the viewer can focus on the main subject. Learning how to make the background of a picture black will help eliminate the distracting background and make the photo aesthetically appealing.
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Making the background black is one of the best ways to make your photo unique and high-quality, like ones shot in a professional studio. A black background helps to highlight the main subject and grab the viewer's attention.
However, even with the best camera and lens, it can be challenging to shoot a photo with a pure black background if you don't understand the basic principles of light. Fortunately, the following guide details some straightforward ways you can shoot photos with a black background or change the background to black during post processing.
A photo backdrop is any physical object you put behind the main subject to act as the photo's background when shooting. Usually, the backdrops vary in styles, sizes, and construction materials. Since you want your photos to have a black background, you need to use a black backdrop.
According to the principles of light, a black background requires a backdrop that does not reflect light towards the lens. Therefore, it is advisable to go for a black backdrop constructed of materials that can absorb light, such as black velvet.
The backdrop should have a matte surface with a non-reflective dye. However, keep in mind that you might not get a purely black background even with the best backdrop if you place it close to the subject.
One of the most straightforward ways of making the background of a picture black is by having the subject's background shadowed. However, you will need to use the camera's manual exposure settings to prevent the camera's metering system from automatically overexposing the shadows.
Like when shooting with the subject in front of a shady place, you can create the same effect by using a speedlight to illuminate your main subject and overpower the natural illumination of the background. You also need to use the manual camera settings, so the camera doesn't automatically overexpose the background.
In most cases, you will need to use a light modifier to control the light from the speed light flash from falling on the background. For instance, you can use an umbrella or a softbox to direct the light to the main subject and prevent it from falling out.
A gray card is a special card-like material designed to aid photographers get the correct white balance and exposure settings by giving the camera a reference point. Typically, a camera operates through a metering system that analyzes the light in relation to the middle gray, which is usually 18% gray.
The metering mechanism uses a zone system that consists of 11 varying tones, with X being the pure white and zero being the pure black. The calibration of the metering system makes the camera compensate for overexposure or underexposure, which makes a black background gray.
On the other hand, when you use a gray card as the reference point, the camera will get perfect exposure and not think that the black background is underexposed. Place the gray card in the position you want your subject to stand, and then use the manual camera settings to get the right exposure before shooting the actual subject.
Keeping in mind that the exposure problem occurs as the camera's metering system tries to measure and analyze the light reflected from your subject to the camera lens, you can avoid the problem by working with the light falling on the subject, commonly known as the incident light.
Usually, this will require you to use an external metering system to analyze the incident light without assigning any tonal range to the subject. This will help you avoid the issue of the camera interpreting the color to be middle gray by using the external metering system's reading to adjust the camera settings manually.
Like when using the gray card, the external metering system will help the camera achieve the correct exposure, and the black background will come out as pure black.
Sometimes it can be challenging to work with an external metering system or a gray card, especially if you don't have a studio setup. However, you can still get the correct exposure by using the camera's spot metering feature.
The spot metering feature helps the camera get the right exposure in high-contrast conditions by providing a point of reference in the frame. In most cameras, you can only use this setting when the camera is in semi-automatic or manual mode, such as the shutter priority or aperture priority mode.
In most high-end cameras, you'll have an option to choose the frame spot you want to use as the point of reference, while in most low-end cameras, this spot will be at the center of the frame. Set your camera using the spot metering feature readings so the camera can capture the main subject and ignore the background.
Sometimes you can't control the background of your photo, especially when shooting large subjects such as real estate exterior photos. In such cases, you can consider capturing your photos normally and then use the following steps to change the background to black using Adobe Photoshop.
Yes, it is possible to remove a black background in Photoshop using the Adobe Sensei artificial intelligence. With the layer unlocked, navigate to Quick Action in the Properties panel and then choose Remove Background.
The best camera setting for a black background shot is low ISO, fast shutter speed, and a narrow aperture to get minimal light reaching the camera sensor and prevent overexposure. Technically, you will be controlling the exposure by tweaking the members of the exposure triangle.
Learning how to make the background of a picture black helps remove a distracting background and grab the viewer's attention. You can make the background black by using a black backdrop and adjusting the camera settings to match the metering system readings or changing the background to black using Photoshop.
