azted Loc: Las Vegas, NV.

As I start to develop a portrait photography business, I am thinking of purchasing a portable background for portrait and maybe product photography. My initial instinct is to buy a black background. But then in thinking about it, a white background can be made black with the appropriate camera setting when using flash. Can someone help in my analysis who is aiming at the same client base?

Quixdraw Loc: x

Not in the business, but why not Greenscreen? Infinite choice of backgrounds. There may be arguments against that I haven't heard. Partly an idea, partly curious.

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

A green background can be pretty much anything you want it to be, as long as the subject isn't also green.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

(or the photographer)

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

That's funny Ron.....good one !!!!

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

I am retired from a photography business, mostly business portraits, including on location. If you get a black background, you are out of luck if you have a client who wants a light background. I used a medium grey backdrop which I could light to get white or lighter grey, or not light and move it further back to get a darker background. If you want to replace backgrounds you don't necessarily need a green screen. I used the same grey backdrop and it was usually easy to select so I could replace it.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

If you are seriously interested in GOOD portrait photography or better yet. really FINE portraiture, background management is important.

There is more to it than most casual or non-portrait shooters think. It is quite a bit more complex than black, white, or gray.

The function of the background is to isolate the subject(s) on a non-distracting field but yet add colour or tonal masse which provides separation, and dimensionality. The appropriate background for any given shot can also prove texture, suggest environments, and help create the "environment" or the illusion thereof. The background, properly toward the end with lighting and the clothing colour or shade can also help create the desired KEY.

It's difficult, for me, to recommend any specific style or kind of background unless I know what kind of work or style you aspire to produce. There are commercially available backgrounds start for seamless paper, to various kids of multicolored and painted backgrounds, to elaborate scenic backgrounds and in some cases, you can make, improvise or paint your own backgrounds. Any given background can be rendered in various ways depending on how it is lighted, the distance between the background and the subject, the degree of depth of field or lack thereof, and the focal length in use as well as the camera to subject distance.

Someof the common mistakes are using a painted "old masters" kida background and trying to simulate an oil painting- it always looks artificial. That same background can be used to create a masterpiece if it is used subtly to provided colour mass and separation with just a hint of pattern or texture. The same applies to a scenic background- it is used flat out in detail it can look artificial. If it is light properly and somewhat out of focus, it can suggest the environment and not look like a stage backdrop.

A good reliable supplier of photographic backgrounds is Denny Manufacturing. Here's a link: https://dennymfg.com/

They have many hundreds o styles sizes and materials- portables, studio, and big cyclorama the background that roll right down and over the floor.

Some commercial backgrounds are GAUDY and artificial-looking, but if used with some savvy, many of those can work.

If you are gonna start with a single background, I would recommend a multi-coloured brushstroke kinda model in a predominantly cooler colour blues and greens. That is because colder colours bring out the warmth in skin tones and provide better colour contrast. A warm background can provide a more monochromatic feeling.

You will need a size that is wide enough to handle individual portraits, couples and groups. If you intend to shoot groups and full-length portraits, you will need one with enough height as well.

What kinda lights do you have or intend to purchase? That would help in making suggestions and discussing background lightg specifically.

For pure white or black or any specific colour, you can use seamless paper.

Check out the Denny online selection and tell me/us what you prefer. I can tell you how to best use it.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Always Great advice!!!

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Savage makes paper backgrounds in a variety of colors, I have listed only one type, they make many many colors.
They are inexpensive and you can also get a holder or make one.
I would suggest a multi colored background in shades of gray, that type be more multi functional.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/45478-REG/Savage_20_12_107_x_12yds_Background.html?sts=pi&pim=Y

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Green screen is almost perfect, but you can often tell that the scene and the person weren't there at the same time. There are lots of choices for green screen. My son uses them all the time for video.
https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=pull+down+background+screen&crid=1JEX2CM517L6L&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_20

Lots of backdrops here.
https://smile.amazon.com/Patterns-Photographic-Background-Photography-Backdrop/dp/B0832R3KQW/ref=sr_1_17_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=pull+down+photographic+background+screen&qid=1631276003&sr=8-17-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExMTcwS0QyTDNTRUxJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTAzNjQ4MVBEV0kwQjg3MzZGQiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzc5MTA4M0gzODBUWldHUldFTiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

As Morrison1116 said, as long as people don't wear green clothing that should work well.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Maybe I'm missing something, but I have always regarded "Location Portraiture" as going to an interesting location with a subject/model and using creativity and imagination to create an interesting portrait of the individual while incorporating the surroundings. Staircases/stairwells, tunnels/underpasses, urban settings (walls, doorways/building entrances, etc), cafe/bar/restaurant, park benches, flower gardens, foot bridges, boats, fountains, seashores/water features, abandoned properties, barn doors, chain link or metal fences, graffiti-covered walls - just about anything can be used as an environment for interesting locations. Think about location photography as if it were street photography with a lot of planning involved.

Using a paper/cloth/vinyl background sort of defeats the entire concept of location portraiture.

Neil van Niekirk has a ton of location portraiture (mostly wedding, but he does have other stuff) on his website:

https://neilvn.com/tangents/


Your needs for product photography will likely be determined by the client's desires. Just make sure you have them pay for stuff that they want.

Also, keep in mind that there is more to location photography than just whipping out a camera and taking a few pictures. You may be at a venue which requires permission, release(s), access fee, etc. You'll need to consider health and safety of all involved if shooting live subjects, obvious stuff like weather, time of day for sun location, etc.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Location photography can be different concepts. Before I retired, my photography business included a lot of business portraits. I would often go to offices and shoot portraits so their people didn't all have to come to my studio individually. They still wanted the same type of lighting and background I did in the studio, and most companies had specifications for the type of lighting and background they wanted.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Beat me to it. I used to use the rolls of seamless paper YEARS ago. So many uses for it, and fairly cheap.