Backgrounds for Portraits

When taking portraits your background is critical. It's equally as important as the subject. (I sometimes say to myself.)

By moving around and changing the background you can introduce new elements. You can create a completely different picture.

I like to have a ladder on these shoots. Not just for the sake of a different angle but to remove the sky from the pictures. Often, when exposing for the subject the sky becomes overexposed. Shooting from a higher position allows the camera to angle down. And the sky is not down.

Whenever possible, try to find a background that is darker than your subject. A darker background will make your subjects stand out.