Searching for clean backgrounds

If you assumed I wander around looking for great subjects, I suggest you look a bit harder at my work. 

I am usually wandering around chasing beautiful light and hunting out clean backgrounds.  This doesn’t diminish from the importance of finding wonderful subjects to focus.  It is just that you need both.  Well actually your background can either make or break your subject. 

Have you ever seen a great subject photographed that is let down by the background? I personally have so many of these shots. I still take them, perhaps to remind myself to go back or in the vain hope I might pull something wonderful off.  It’s rare.  Usually, I just skip past them for years. 

A mediocre subject can shine with a great and well balanced background.  Particularly, when the light is just magical to match.  It’s facinating that these things often all come good together. 

So it’s not enough to just get the clean background, but it is a fantastic starting point.  Well worth the search in my opinion. 

Master portrait photographers start with the background.  So why don't you?

The Baker’s Oven, The Great Ocean Road, Victoria. Australia.  Part of the monumental monoliths series.  Photograph and text copyright ©️ Len Metcalf 2018