The best black backgrounds in the UK 2023

The know-how of the photographer is a major part of the quality of a photo. But many other elements come into play to sublimate a photo, including the quality of the camera, the lighting or the background. In this regard, the black background offers more versatility. But which model to choose? We explain it all in our guide to the best black backgrounds.

Kate Pure Black 1
9/10

Best value for money

Kate Pure Black

The best darkroom in 2021

This black background will serve as a backdrop for your party, wedding or baby photos. It will bring out all the details and make them stand out. For more fun, add some ruffles.

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Made with a mesh gauze fabric embellished with sequins. The moiré effect is created thanks to the sequins, the gathers and the type of fabric. The play of light obtained will contribute to give a touch of romance and luxury to your photos. The dimensions of the fabric are 1.25 m wide and 2 m long. A pocket is sewn on the upper part of the backdrop to hang it from a bar or rod. To enhance your photos and for a larger surface area, we recommend using two or more widths of fabric with gathers.

Neewer 6x9 ft/ 1.8x2.8m 2
8/10

Best value for money

Neewer 6x9 ft/ 1.8x2.8m

The best entry-level darkroom

The use of this cheap black background should allow many amateur photographers to better highlight the subject and expand the creative possibilities.

24,79 £ on Amazon

This black background was made from pure muslin, easy to spread, with dimensions of 1.8 x 2.8 m. This material is ideal for photographic or video shoots and does not reflect light. It is also very strong and can be hung or draped without risk of tearing. The bar pockets are sewn on each side, ensuring even tension throughout the fabric. To eliminate wrinkles, you can iron the fabric on its back side with a steam iron. However, avoid ironing it with a dry iron.

Softbox 3
7/10

Best premium value for money

Softbox

The best high-end darkroom

If you don't want to forget anything when you switch to professional photography, a studio photo kit is the best solution. Here is the Softbox.

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It is a complete kit, composed of 4 backdrops of different colors (green, black, white, gray). These backdrops have an aluminum support of 2 m on 3. The kit also includes four umbrellas and 5 reflectors. The kit promotes good light management, eliminates reflections and shadows. The lighting kit includes 135 and 35 W pure white bulbs and their light holders. There are also accessories for studio and outdoor shooting. The kit comes with the backdrop carrying bag and the softbox bag.

Neewer 2,6 x 3 m 4
8/10

Must have

Neewer 2,6 x 3 m

The best full darkroom for less

Neewer offers this complete background kit. Also available in 2 other sizes, it gives access to good material at low cost. For photography or video shooting.

127 £ on Amazon

The Neewer backdrop holder consists of an aluminum stand on a folding tripod that can hold fabric or paper backdrops with good tension. The support is adjustable in width up to 3 m, and in height up to 2.6 m. The kit also includes 3 muslin backdrops in 3 x 6 m format in different colors. With a solid finish on each edge, they are tear-resistant. Backing clips are also available to secure the backdrops to the supports.

Buying guide • November 2023

Best black background

Any specific needs?

The best darkroom in 2021

The best entry-level darkroom

The best high-end darkroom

The best full darkroom for less

Your guide : Samuel

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Comparison table of the best black backgrounds

TOP OF THE TOP CHEAP TOP OF THE LINE EXCELLENT
Kate Pure Black 5
9/10
Neewer 6x9 ft/ 1.8x2.8m 6
8/10
Softbox 7
7/10
Neewer 2,6 x 3 m 8
8/10
OUR SELECTION
Kate Pure Black
Neewer 6x9 ft/ 1.8x2.8m
Softbox
Neewer 2,6 x 3 m
This black background will serve as a backdrop for your party, wedding or baby photos. It will bring out all the details and make them stand out. For more fun, add some ruffles.
The use of this cheap black background should allow many amateur photographers to better highlight the subject and expand the creative possibilities.
If you don't want to forget anything when you switch to professional photography, a studio photo kit is the best solution. Here is the Softbox.
Neewer offers this complete background kit. Also available in 2 other sizes, it gives access to good material at low cost. For photography or video shooting.
With mesh sequins
Pure muslin
With lighting kit
3 backgrounds offered (white / black / green)
Ideal for weddings, Christmas, Thanksgiving, ...
Washable
4 backdrops
Foldable tripod
In Microfiber
Value for money
Easy to assemble
Has 3 background clips

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Buying guide - black background

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How to choose your black background

Taking a photo or shooting a video on a black background is not really obvious for everyone. This is because the choice of the black background is quite difficult. So, to help you, discover the 5 criteria for choosing a black background.

#1 - Lighting

The choice of the black background is made according to the luminosity which in turn varies according to the place of the realization of the shooting or the photo. If you think that the lighting system is good, you have to acquire a black background with the appropriate support. Preferably, opt for a kit if you can afford it. It already includes umbrellas, as well as softbox for background lighting.

#2 - The right material

When possible, the black background should be designed in a good material. You can choose a fabric, unfolding or retractable canvas, but with a resistant material, not too light, not too shiny, not too matte.

#3 - The color

Other than the choice of the material, the color is also important. Pure green is the ideal color, but if necessary, it is always possible to choose a shade closer, but especially well suited to the use, whether black or blue or even light or dark green.

#4 - Practicality

A

black background is frequently used, hence the importance of having an equipment that is easy to store, use, transport and stow. For this purpose, be aware that paper can be handy, but retractable canvas is easy to use, as is unfoldable canvas.

#5 - The price

Black background turns out to be an expensive accessory, especially the professional green. This results from the fact that the design requires quality, and the cost of the constituents is also expensive. You can invest a good time for complete kits, and enjoy your acquisition for a long time.

What is a mini photo studio?

The best black backgrounds 9

Many photographers, amateurs or professionals, choose independence in the realization of their hobbies or work. In this case, to succeed in this direction, you need a mini photo studio. Find out more about it.

The essentials for a mini photo studio

The camera is certainly the basis of a mini photo studio. An entry-level SLR or mirrorless camera is fine, but if you can afford a better one, all the better. It must be equipped with a hotshoe, also called accessory shoe. This is an accessory that allows you to trigger the flash and the camera at the same time, life of the transceiver triggers.

When it comes to flash, it is necessary to have adequate lighting equipment, depending on the lighting of the studio, natural or continuous. It is recommended to have kits with several intensities to optimize the result. There are powerful and efficient portable flashes, with an optimal quality. With a reflector, a single flash is suitable for background lighting, and two flashes are appropriate for shadowless lighting or hair lighting.

For the background, you have the choice according to your possibilities. Canvas is easy to roll out, transport and store, but it gets dirty quickly. The best option is to use paper. To do this, simply attach the end to a wall with masking tape. In addition, it is a background available in several colors.

The accessories of mini photo studio

In addition to the equipment, a mini photo studio includes various additional accessories. This includes various tapes, i.e. duct tape for attaching flash holders to the floor and masking tape for attaching the paper background to the floor or wall.

In addition, clamps are needed to hold the accessories to prevent the paper background from unrolling or rolling. The reflector, preferably 5 in 1, helps to lighten the shadows of the main light. If necessary, you can make do with rigid white cardboard. Finally, you must have a battery charger to recharge the flashes and transceiver.

The different types of black backgrounds

Essential element for a scene of shooting within the framework of the production of films and cinema sequences, the green or black backgrounds allow the realization of incrustation. The latter consists in replacing a background by another image, video or animation. Here are 3 types of backgrounds.

The green sheet

The green sheet is the least expensive option for finding your inlay background. Practical and durable, the green background resists tearing, stretching and is easy to clean. It is the best option for optimizing light uniformity and to get the most out of it, it should be well maintained, and ironed before each use.

The folding canvas

Halfway between the green sheet and the retractable backdrop, the fold-out canvas is a practical and functional backdrop. It is mounted on a metal bracket at the top, with a floor mount option as well. It is rolled up on itself and the legs are to be unfolded for set up. Easy to unroll and roll up, it is an ideal solution for a medium budget.

The retractable green background

A

complete

option

, the retractable green backdrop offers all the possibilities for a video overlay. Box, curtain or wall structure, it offers less constraints to use. A click opens it to set it up at the beginning of the video shoot, and to roll it up at the end, you just have to press the button to retract it.

In short, the green screen is an option to reduce the problems of shooting. It allows the creation of the set even in a studio, and to manipulate the size of the set. There are several types of green screen, so the director can choose what suits him according to his financial means.

Green or black background?

Green background

The color green as a background is very popular, as it is the furthest from the skin tones. The green background will therefore make the character in question stand out perfectly. Moreover, green is the best captured by most devices, making the overlay extremely accurate.

However, the choice of green tones is delicate, and the intervention of a professional is necessary to make the subject stand out. Moreover, the use of green background requires a rather important working surface, because it is also a question of not projecting a shadow on the background.

Black background

What's interesting is that you can get the black background in different ways depending on what you have. You can set up a black background in the studio, but it is also possible to create it with editing software or clever lighting manipulation.

However, this technique is not for everyone, as it requires a certain amount of dexterity. Indeed, it will be a question of finding the ideal combination between the adjustment of the apparatus and the distribution of the light. Moreover, the manipulation of an editing software is necessary. Moreover, this technique is difficult to apply with a smartphone that has a fixed zoom.

Verdict

In conclusion, the black background is more for the professional photographer. While the green background easily inserts a person, which makes this background the favorite of novices.

Tips

Separate the subject to be photographed from the green background

Two precautions to take. The first is to make sure that the subject to be photographed does not have any green color, so that one of these elements does not become invisible when the green color is removed. The second precaution: manage the lighting in such a way that the subject to be photographed stands out clearly from the background of the screen.

Wide shot

The

wide shot consists in photographing the subject while insisting on the background. Its purpose is to establish the relationship between the subject and its immediate environment. A character should therefore be photographed from head to toe. And this, while scrupulously respecting the scale. To be able to achieve a perfect overlay, you should therefore think about installing a green background on the ground.

Fold your green background properly

It

is important to fold the backdrop well to avoid having false folds

afterwards.

The green sheet will be the trickiest to fold, as you will be forced to iron it before use. The unfolding backdrop folds quickly, just follow the tuto available on the net.

Adjusting the lighting on a green background

The

principle of lighting the green background is its uniformity. Being quite bright, the green color does not need intensive light. To succeed in your shots on a green background, it is therefore advisable to focus the lighting on the subject to photograph. On the other hand, reflectors will be sufficient to light the green background.

Mini photo studio

To

photograph small objects up to 20 cm in size, no need to set up a large studio with an array of lighting. The mini photo studio is enough. The small model measures 40 x 40 x 40 cm, while the large model can go up to 80 x 80 x 80 cm. The kit also includes backdrops, as well as LED lighting and filters.

FAQ

What is the best black background?

The best black background depends on your needs and your budget. Read our buying guide for the best products available.

How to use a green background?

The green background is the solution for a perfect overlay when shooting. To ensure maximum quality, it is important to distribute the light evenly over the entire surface of the canvas. This can be achieved with softbox lighting. In addition, the canvas should be taut and smooth, so that no creases are left.

Light or dark green background ?

As we are working on digital, the ideal green background will be the "perfect green", it is neither dark nor light. The different shades of green are nuanced by the presence of red and blue. The green background to use will be the one that has zero percent red and blue, that is, the so-called 0.255.0.

How to light a green background?

The green background has the advantage of not requiring powerful light. On the other hand, the first principle to adopt is to obtain a homogeneous lighting. This lighting must be as soft as possible and avoid reverberations on the subject to be photographed. In the studio, the Softbox is the best solution, while outside, it is better to use reflectors.

Which lamp to choose for a photo studio?

In studio photography, there is a distinction between flash and continuous light. Flashes have long been the preferred lighting in studios, but due to their high cost, as well as the advent of halogen spotlights and LED panels, some of their functions have been replaced. Ideally, a flash should be used to illuminate the subject and background with continuous light.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information.
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  13. , istockphoto.com
  14. , wall.alphacoders.com
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  16. , amazon.co.uk
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  23. , fr.freepik.com
  24. , pixfromworld.fr
  25. , pinterest.fr
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Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

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Our selection
Kate Pure Black 10
Kate Pure Black
Neewer 6x9 ft/ 1.8x2.8m 11
Neewer 6x9 ft/ 1.8x2.8m
Softbox 12
Softbox
Neewer 2,6 x 3 m 13
Neewer 2,6 x 3 m

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