How to Get Dark Backgrounds for Close-Up Photos

A dark background is a fantastic way to keep the focus on your subject, and all it takes is a little lighting know-how to make it happen. This great video will show you how it is done and how you can use it to create dramatic, vibrant images. 

Coming to you from Ed Verosky, this fantastic video will show you how you can create a dark background for close-up work. This is a very versatile and fundamental lighting technique that is great for not just still life and product work, but for portraits as well. The technique relies on learning how to control ambient exposure independently from the flash exposure, then killing the ambient light and illuminating only your subject with the flash. As you will notice, Verosky is using flowers for this, though you could of course use a variety of subjects that you choose. Given the current circumstances, if you are looking for something to shoot to keep your skills sharp and creativity flowing, this is a great thing to try; just grab some flowers from your garden or whatever small objects you like to shoot. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Verosky.