Black Backgrounds

jonjay3012

jonjay3012

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I love looking through this forum, some of the pictures people put up are incredible and really inspire me want to take better photographs, rather than just snap shots.

With these dark nights at the minute and being stuck indoors everything is still life practice and trying to learn the camera. To be honest there aren't many decent backdrops in my little flat and one thing I note a lot is people putting up pictures, portraits and still life, with lovely jet black backgrounds.

Now I only have basic kit, a D3100, kit lens and a 35mm 1.8. I have no flashgun so off camera flash isn't an option as I don't have funds at the moment. As for software I've got GIMP, paint.net and the Nikon ViewNX.

The question is, how do I go about reproducing a jet black background? I've tried a black sheet with object in front, lights off apart from a small spot from the side. I've also tried pitch black room with low iso high Fstop and flash. The second one got closest but you could still see bits of the carpet showing in the bottom of the image.

Any tips in set up, lighting or PP would be greatly appreciated.

Ta.
 
Thanks for that link. Some good reading and I managed to get a couple of ok shots last night by following the suggestions in there, although it does seem more suitable for off camera flash.

If I get results with a nearly decent black background, are there any straight forward ways in PP to finish off any lit areas?
 
Or here for some of the smaller stuff.

[YOUTUBE]?v=5T60WTSmzDI[/YOUTUBE]
 
Another good video from Dom :) Well worth having a look at his others on YouTube.

You don't need a flash to light your subjects, a Desk lamp or torch can work quite well. Keep you subject in the light and the background darker as per the video. Just watch the white balance as light bulbs can tend to be quite yellow.
 
When using flash, try and keep any light spill off your background to avoid lighting it at all. Set your shutter speed to it's highest flash sync setting, as shutter speed is what controls anything lit by ambient light. Keep your subject as far in front of your background as you can, as if you do get any light spill on to the background from your flash, the further away the background, the greater the light drop-off.
 
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