Black & White Kids - Black & White Backdrops

[keith204]

I'm doing another basketball portrait shoot with some kids of different races. Last shoot I did, we just used the gym floor, which was wood, and that worked fine...however, this time we may not have access to a wood floor. SO, I am bringing my backdrops.

I have a black and a white backdrop. The black is certainly my preference. Would black be OK for all the kids? Any tips?

This will be a great learning experience, but I hope it still goes OK. Let me know your thoughts, or what you would do if you were me.

 

[brileyphotog]

I appreciate the political correctness of saying different races, but I'm assuming you're worried about having African-American kids on a black background?

It really depends on how dark they are.

 

[Emerana]

is isn't just African American kids. any kids with black hair can melt into a black background. At the same time a dark skinned and dark haired child can almost glow on a white background.

So I think it depends on your lighting and how good you are

 

[brileyphotog]

That's true as well. I totally forgot about hair color.

Any possibility of getting a gray backdrop to split the difference?

 

[keith204]

hey thanks for the replies.

About PC. Yeah I hate the whole politically correct phase so many people are into, but I also live in a pretty racist town. Everybody here is basically a decendent of a farmer who lived here years and years ago... but I am originally from a city, so saying black and white was no big deal.

Anyway, yes spot on.

I don't know about getting a gray backdrop, but that's an idea... I'd like to get one that's black, gray, and white...sort of a mixed pattern, but that is my delimma... no good places around here to get backdrops from.

 

[Digital Matt]

Use a hair light and/or rim light and anybody will pop off the background. Skin tone does not matter one bit.

 

[Emerana]

I would use natural lighting and reflectors...not that im an expert but I have seen it done that way with great results (no blending). Studios seem to end up with that effect more.