Photographic background. Which is the best color?

[Grant Bowie]

Hi all,
At the moment I am experimenting with photographing the bonsai with various background colors. Black looks good and fills out the tree. Green is light enough to show the silhouette and faults. What other colors would look good do you think?

I have a reasonable digital SLR and inexpensive studio lights.

Green.JPG

Black.JPG

[Gary Bee]

G/day! Grant,

A great subject to get us all thinking.

This subject intrigues me immensely and I don't have many answers.
If anything, I am still searching for the right combination of lights and backgrounds.

The softer colours of pale green and the first of your photos with pale blue background appeal to me most.
And yet the black background as shown with the 360 Degree photos highlight the trees much better.
I have trouble getting a result with a dark background due I think to not understanding the lighting requirement with such a combination.
I have plans to assemble a Tokonoma complete with lighting purely for show with visitors and for photo sessions.
Does any member have some ideas on such. ie lighting etc

I'll be watching this thread for all snippets of information.

What really works

Regards
Gary
<](:-))

[Elias]

Hi Grant,

I'm really liking backgrounds with a darker bottom and graduating to a lighter colour on top. I reckon darker colours I think define the tree more, maybe a charcoal of some kind could be ideal, everything will jump out and being a very neutral type of a colour it should well with trees... Just my opinion

[Japh]

I expect that either white or black would be best (possibly white better than black even), and with muted light. So the light should be bounced off another white surface onto the tree and it's background. I think that would give the best lighting and the truest colourings for the tree.

Notice the distinct difference in the "grass" colour on your two photos? I suspect this is on account of the camera picking a false auto-white balance.

Would be interesting to do some experiments though

[Grant Bowie]

The darker does seem better.

I tried a beige color but it was way too bright and harsh. Even with the lights dialed down to its lowest setting it was too bright.

A graduated background may be good but difficult to do with some of the large trees we have to photograph on a regular basis.

In Brisbane Bill Valavanis mentioned he used Black, blue and one other color but I can't remember which other color. Anyone remeber what he said?

European beech.JPG

This is a group of European Beech.

The deciduous trees certainly are highlighted against the pale background.

[Pup]

G,day Grant I use two shades of blue mainly because it is easy for me to organise and shift around. As I only use natural lighting.
I have seen very good effect using Black with the flash.
Pup
Ps I like what you have produced so far

Pps I am about to put a tree up on the native forum that I would like some of your thoughts on

[Jow]

Grant, Dont know if you have seen this:

http://bonsaivaultforum.freeforums.org/ ... 5985dc7516

But it is a good read and creates a nice background effect. (you might have to log in to view)

[Grant Bowie]

Grant, Dont know if you have seen this:

http://bonsaivaultforum.freeforums.org/ ... 5985dc7516

But it is a good read and creates a nice background effect. (you might have to log in to view)

Thanks for the link. I will have a good look at it.

[Grant Bowie]

G,day Grant I use two shades of blue mainly because it is easy for me to organise and shift around. As I only use natural lighting.
I have seen very good effect using Black with the flash.
Pup
Ps I like what you have produced so far

Pps I am about to put a tree up on the native forum that I would like some of your thoughts on

Hi Pup,

I can't use natural light as we only have a small squeezy, dark garage attched to the collection to work out of. Outside in the collection you have all the lines etc of the mesh on the roof spoiling the shot..

I have two "shoot through " lights activated as slave units by the camera without actually using the flash on the camera. It is not too bad so far.

Re your tree on the native forum I will be most pleased to look at anything you produce at any time. They are Always worth looking at.

Did you see Arthurs Beech group? It is looking good and will only get better with time.

Your callistemon is starting to push out some new growth although today was less than 10 degrees max. It was sleeting on us for an hour or so.

[Webos]

Gday Grant,
Looks good to me but in my job (Studio Photographer), I try to avoid shadows on the backdrop as much as possible. I like the white backdrop best.

To avoid the shadowing, try throwing your backdrop futher back from the tree. If you have umbrellas to bounce the light back to the studio, that will soften the light and help avoid shadowing.

I usually shoot at about 1/250 (to help stop ambient light having an effect on the backdrop or trees) and I usually have the aperature at around F:16

Shoot a few test shots and fiddle the light output until you have a nice spike in the middle of your histogram on your camera

Good luck and let me know the results

[Grant Bowie]

Thanks Webos,

The space we have in the garage for photographing is extremely narrow so I can only move the tree a small distance from the background but I will do my best.

It won't be possible with the big bonsai.

I have two "Shoot Through" type lights but will try bouncing off the ceiling.(the lights, not me!) I also have one silver reflective bounce type light as well.

[kitoi]

I prefer a dark graduated background as it gives the photo depth. This shot a light tent was used along with 2 day light bulbs. Only shadows visible are below the pot.

[dayne]

yeah as i used to be a pro photographer and photo printer the best is to put the backdrop further back from the tree.

Use a smalller f-stop if manual or put it on a macro or portrait setting and this will only focus on the tree rather than have the background in focus.
It shouldnt matter to much about background colour thats a personal thing but you shouldnt see detail on the background or flash bounce or shadows from flash fallout
give it ago natural light is the best sun behind you and keep moving the background back till its out of focus.
Have fun with it.

[MelaQuin]

I'm a very basic photographer but I get best effects with a large sheet of cardboard, the medium neutral colour working well in outside light. White brings far too much contrast for my point and shoot digital. I agree that darker colours can bring a stunning result but after years of editing a bonsai newsletter, black grounds use one hell of a lot of toner and if the newsletter has to be printed in black and white you have just wrecked any photo quality.

And I use a cardboard ground because I don't have to iron it when I want it!

[stymie]

Pale blue or black dependant on the tree and season. I have used a sky background but find that fill in lighting is necessary, flash being a surprising option.