4. EnvironmentI’ll define environme

4. Environment
I’ll define environment as the location where you place your subject and in most cases it will be your choice. If as a photographer you choose a poor location or background or you do not point out to the client that the location they have chosen is not suitable then it really is only your own fault. When considering your location think about whether the background will enhance the subject or distract from it. Consider if your choice of background is in keeping with the subject and the message to be portrayed and if not then why have you chosen it?

Often business clients get hung up on including something to do with their company in the background, usually to the detriment of the image. How many times do you see the businessman photographed badly in front of the company logo? If you don’t believe the image will work then tell them why, even show them a version of what they have in mind compared with what you have in mind. Don’t be afraid to offer your opinion, after all that is what they are paying you for. In many instances it is safer to go with something neutral or not too busy (or at least not to busy via shallow depth of field) and often slightly darker than the skin tone so that your subject appears more prominent; the exception to this is a portrait on a pure white background which can have a clean fresh appeal to it. Most of all look for depth in your image, try to find somewhere with a bit of space so that you can add that sense of depth to the image and allowing you more flexibility in controlling your depth of field.