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Types of
Digital Backgrounds
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There are basically 2 types
of digital backgrounds:
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Backgrounds that simulate
muslin backdrops (as above) and
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Scenic backgrounds of
landscapes and famous locations (as below). Scenic backgrounds can be
obtained from "Stock Photography" libraries as well, but stock agencies
charge fees that can easily run into big bucks and you need to complete
documents that restrict usage rights.
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Selecting a Digital
Background
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| One of the
pitfalls of digital backgrounds is that users usually have large
collections of background choices and this confuses customers. It is
difficult to decide on the perfect background when there are too many
choices. |
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Issues with Scenic
Backgrounds
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Scenic
backgrounds can be beautiful and exotic but they can make a portrait look
very artificial and fake. The key to successfully using scenic
backgrounds is lighting. What you need to consider:
- Almost all scenes are illuminated by
the sun and therefore have an angle of illumination causing shadows to
fall in a specific direction
- The subject to be superimposed on the
background should be illuminated to duplicate the angle of illumination
- If the angle of illumination of the
subject and background are not matched, the human brain notices
something is wrong and the image becomes objectionable when viewed
It is best to select the scenic
background before photographing the subject. This will allow the
photographer to duplicate the illumination angle of the scene and produce
a more realistic portrait. Also many scenic backgrounds have a color cast
that should be matched to some extent on the subject. |
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Focus issues with
Scenic Backgrounds
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| In order to make
a portrait with a scenic background look real, the background should be
out of focus as if it were taken with the lens short focused. It can be
very difficult to make some scenes look correct to the eye, because the
more distant objects in the scene should be more out of focus than the
close objects. Most scenic images are photographed with infinity focus,
and it is nearly impossible to alter them correctly to change the focal
point. |
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Photograph your own
Scenic backgrounds
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| Some portrait
photographers are collecting there own digital scenic backgrounds by
traveling locally and photographing scenes that are indigenous to the
area. The advantages of this DIY approach are many.
You can be assured of the correct lighting
and focus of the scenes and your customers may prefer a familiar scene. |
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A large selection of
digital backgrounds are available at
Backgroundpros.com |
