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Don't think of the background light as just a background light. Play with it.

If you double the distance you will diminish the fall-off.

[![Your settings][1]][1]

You will need to double the output, and probably put a card so you don't spill light to your subject.

[![Double the distance][2]][2]

But play with the light, cut a cardboard in different shapes.

[![Play][3]][3]

From different angles

[![Play][4]][4]

Put a diffuser before the cardboard, remove the diffuser, move the distance to the screen, to the cardboard, the angle.

You can also construct a snoot just wrapping cardboard around your flash head.

Take a time to shoot not your portrait, but to shoot just backgrounds.

After you play with background's illumination probably you need to separate a bit more the subject from the background, because the light of the main subject will contaminate the background. Again, play with the distances.

I'm adding this part. Lighting the background will not add "separation" on its own. Playing with the illumination on the background will give you an ambient, hopefully it will add some mood or a story to your portrait.

But to "separate it" you need to play with the illumination between your model and the background. A hair light; a shadow-light vs light-shadow scheme perhaps; or narrower DOF. [1]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-1.png [2]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-2.png [3]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-3.png [4]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-4.png

Don't think of the background light as just a background light. Play with it.

If you double the distance you will diminish the fall-off.

You will need to double the output, and probably put a card so you don't spill light to your subject.

But play with the light, cut a cardboard in different shapes.

From different angles

Put a diffuser before the cardboard, remove the diffuser, move the distance to the screen, to the cardboard, the angle.

You can also construct a snoot just wrapping cardboard around your flash head.

Take a time to shoot not your portrait, but to shoot just backgrounds.

After you play with background's illumination probably you need to separate a bit more the subject from the background, because the light of the main subject will contaminate the background. Again, play with the distances.

I'm adding this part. Lighting the background will not add "separation" on its own. Playing with the illumination on the background will give you an ambient, hopefully it will add some mood or a story to your portrait.

But to "separate it" you need to play with the illumination between your model and the background. A hair light; a shadow-light vs light-shadow scheme perhaps; or narrower DOF.

Don't think of the background light as just a background light. Play with it.

If you double the distance you will diminish the fall-off.

Your settings http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-1.png

You will need to double the output, and probably put a card so you don't spill light to your subject.

Double the distance http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-2.png

But play with the light, cut a cardboard in different shapes.

Play http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-3.png

From different angles

Play http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-4.png

Put a diffuser before the cardboard, remove the diffuser, move the distance to the screen, to the cardboard, the angle.

You can also construct a snoot just wrapping cardboard around your flash head.

Take a time to shoot not your portrait, but to shoot just backgrounds.

After you play with background's illumination probably you need to separate a bit more the subject from the background, because the light of the main subject will contaminate the background. Again, play with the distances.

I'm adding this part. Lighting the background will not add "separation" on its own. Playing with the illumination on the background will give you an ambient, hopefully it will add some mood or a story to your portrait.

But to "separate it" you need to play with the illumination between your model and the background. A hair light; a shadow-light vs light-shadow scheme perhaps; or narrower DOF.

Don't think of the background light as just a background light. Play with it.

If you double the distance you will diminish the fall-off.

[![Your settings][1]][1]

You will need to double the output, and probably put a card so you don't spill light to your subject.

[![Double the distance][2]][2]

But play with the light, cut a cardboard in different shapes.

[![Play][3]][3]

From different angles

[![Play][4]][4]

Put a diffuser before the cardboard, remove the diffuser, move the distance to the screen, to the cardboard, the angle.

You can also construct a snoot just wrapping cardboard around your flash head.

Take a time to shoot not your portrait, but to shoot just backgrounds.

After you play with background's illumination probably you need to separate a bit more the subject from the background, because the light of the main subject will contaminate the background. Again, play with the distances.

I'm adding this part. Lighting the background will not add "separation" on its own. Playing with the illumination on the background will give you an ambient, hopefully it will add some mood or a story to your portrait.

But to "separate it" you need to play with the illumination between your model and the background. A hair light; a shadow-light vs light-shadow scheme perhaps; or narrower DOF. [1]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-1.png [2]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-2.png [3]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-3.png [4]: https://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-4.png

Don't think of the background light as just a background light. Play with it.

If you double the distance you will diminish the fallout.

Your settings http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-1.png

You will need to double the output, and probably put a card so you don't spill light to your subject.

Double the distance http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-2.png

But play with the light, cut a cardboard in diferent shapes.

Play http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-3.png

From diferent angles

Play http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-4.png

Put a difuse before the cardboard, remove the difuser, move the distance to the screen, to the cardboard, the angle.

You can also construct a snoot just wraping cardboard arround your flash head.

Take a time to shoot not your portrait, but to shoot just backgrounds.

After you play with background's ilumination probably you need to separate a bit more the subject from the background, becouse the light of the main subject will contaminate the background. Again, play with the distances.

I'm adding this part. Lighting the background will not add "separation" by its own. Playing with the ilumination on the background will give you an ambient, hopefully it will add some mood or a story to your portrait.

But to "separate it" you need to play with the ilumination between your model and the background. A hair light; a shadow-light vs light-shadow scheme perhaphs; or narrower DOF.

Don't think of the background light as just a background light. Play with it.

If you double the distance you will diminish the fall-off.

Your settings http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-1.png

You will need to double the output, and probably put a card so you don't spill light to your subject.

Double the distance http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-2.png

But play with the light, cut a cardboard in different shapes.

Play http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-3.png

From different angles

Play http://otake.com.mx/Foros/BackgroundIlumination-4.png

Put a diffuser before the cardboard, remove the diffuser, move the distance to the screen, to the cardboard, the angle.

You can also construct a snoot just wrapping cardboard around your flash head.

Take a time to shoot not your portrait, but to shoot just backgrounds.

After you play with background's illumination probably you need to separate a bit more the subject from the background, because the light of the main subject will contaminate the background. Again, play with the distances.

I'm adding this part. Lighting the background will not add "separation" on its own. Playing with the illumination on the background will give you an ambient, hopefully it will add some mood or a story to your portrait.

But to "separate it" you need to play with the illumination between your model and the background. A hair light; a shadow-light vs light-shadow scheme perhaps; or narrower DOF.