1. Consider Your Subject and the Story You Want to Tell:
* What's the personality of your subject? A playful child might look great against a colorful playground, while a serious portrait might benefit from a more subdued, natural setting.
* What's the purpose of the portrait? A business headshot needs a different background than a family portrait for a holiday card.
* What mood are you trying to create? A romantic portrait could use a sunset or a field of flowers, while a more edgy portrait might benefit from an urban backdrop.
* Wardrobe Coordination: Consider the colors and style of the subject's clothing. You want the background to complement, not clash with, the outfit. For example, a red dress will pop against a green background.
2. Seek Out Locations:
* Local Parks and Gardens: These are usually well-maintained, offer a variety of trees, flowers, and open spaces, and often have interesting structures like gazebos or bridges.
* Urban Environments: Look for brick walls, colorful murals, alleyways, and industrial settings. These can provide a unique and edgy feel.
* Natural Landscapes: Forests, fields, beaches, mountains, and rivers offer stunning, naturally beautiful backgrounds.
* Architectural Details: Unique buildings, doorways, arches, and windows can add visual interest and frame your subject.
* Farms and Orchards: Offer rustic charm, especially during specific seasons (blossoms in spring, harvest in fall).
* Your Own Backyard: Don't underestimate the potential of your own backyard! A well-placed tree, a patch of flowers, or even a simple fence can make a great background.
* Scout Locations in Advance: This is crucial! Visit potential locations at different times of day to see how the light falls and to identify the best spots.
3. Look for Specific Qualities in a Background:
* Simplicity: A simple background often works best, as it avoids distracting from your subject. Think clean lines, solid colors, and minimal clutter.
* Color: Consider the color palette.
* Complementary Colors: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel (e.g., blue and orange, red and green) can create a vibrant contrast.
* Analogous Colors: Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (e.g., blue, blue-green, and green) create a more harmonious and subtle look.
* Monochromatic: Using different shades of the same color can be a sophisticated and minimalist approach.
* Texture: Textures like brick, wood, foliage, or water can add depth and visual interest.
* Depth: Look for backgrounds that have depth, allowing you to create a sense of distance between your subject and the background (using wide apertures to blur the background).
* Leading Lines: Roads, paths, fences, or even rows of trees can draw the viewer's eye towards your subject.
* Patterns: Repetitive patterns can create a visually appealing background. However, be careful not to let the pattern overwhelm your subject.
* Bokeh Potential: Look for backgrounds with lights or highlights that can be rendered into beautiful bokeh (blurred, out-of-focus highlights) with a wide aperture. This can add a magical touch to your portraits.
4. Pay Attention to Light:
* Time of Day: The "golden hour" (the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset) offers soft, warm, and flattering light. Avoid shooting in harsh midday sunlight, as it can create unflattering shadows and blown-out highlights.
* Direction of Light: Experiment with different lighting angles.
* Front Lighting: Can be flat but is generally flattering.
* Side Lighting: Can create more dramatic shadows and highlight texture.
* Backlighting: Can create a beautiful rim light around your subject and a soft, dreamy feel (requires careful exposure).
* Shade: Look for open shade, which provides soft, even light without harsh shadows. The shady side of a building or a tree can work wonders.
* Cloud Cover: Overcast days can provide a beautiful, diffused light that is ideal for portraits.
5. Composition Techniques:
* Rule of Thirds: Place your subject off-center, along one of the imaginary lines that divide the frame into thirds, to create a more dynamic composition.
* Framing: Use elements in the foreground to frame your subject, such as branches, doorways, or arches. This can add depth and draw attention to your subject.
* Negative Space: Leave some empty space around your subject to create a sense of balance and visual breathing room.
* Angle of View: Experiment with different angles to see how they affect the background and your subject. Shooting from a low angle can make your subject appear taller and more powerful, while shooting from a high angle can create a more intimate and vulnerable feel.
* Aperture (f-stop): A wide aperture (e.g., f/2.8, f/4) will create a shallow depth of field, blurring the background and isolating your subject. A narrow aperture (e.g., f/8, f/11) will keep more of the scene in focus.
6. Avoid Distractions:
* Clutter: Remove any unnecessary objects or distractions from the background. This might involve physically moving objects or simply changing your shooting angle.
* Bright or Over-Exposed Areas: Avoid backgrounds with bright, blown-out areas, as they can be distracting and draw attention away from your subject.
* Overly Busy Patterns: Be wary of backgrounds with patterns that are too busy or distracting.
* People or Cars: Be mindful of unwanted people or cars in the background. Wait for them to pass or change your position.
7. Tips and Tricks:
* Communicate with your subject: Tell them about the background you have chosen and why it's important to the overall image. Make sure they are comfortable and confident in the setting.
* Get creative: Don't be afraid to experiment with different angles, lighting, and compositions.
* Practice: The more you practice, the better you will become at identifying great backgrounds and using them effectively in your portraits.
* Use a Reflector: A reflector can bounce light onto your subject, filling in shadows and creating a more even exposure.
* Edit in Post-Processing: You can further enhance your backgrounds in post-processing by adjusting the colors, contrast, and sharpness. You can also selectively blur or darken the background to draw more attention to your subject.
By following these tips, you can find the perfect backgrounds for your outdoor portraits and create images that are both beautiful and meaningful. Good luck and happy shooting!