It can either isloate and focus your subject, like Tom Jenkins image of fencing from the olympics where by the nature of the competition the audience lighting is dimmed right down, and when shot right, putting them in darkness allowing the lights of the scoring and stage to make the picture. Or it can inform about your subject, the Olympic rings and 2012 logo featured in the background of many of the photos from last summer.
Tom Jenkins
Clive Rose
At Focus On Imaging back in March I attended talks by Bob Martin and Mark Pain, two award winning sports photographers. Both of them mentioned how important backgrounds are to their work, how a good background can make an image.
Bob Martin was in charge of the Olympic photography, he organised where the photographers areas were going to be. This gave photographers the best possible access to the events taking place, and good backgrounds! which ensured the coverage of the whole games was phenomenal.
Bob Martin
Bob Martin
Mark Pain illustrated that picking out a good location to shoot from in relation to the action is equally paramount to a good background. His shot of Zara receiving her medal for the dressage was shot from the public stands. Mark didn't get a spot in the press area when the straws were drawn so he shot this moment from the stands and it happened to be the only shot in which you can see both their faces, as it is shot from the side.
Mark Pain
Meeting these photographers and listening to them talk about their work has left me inspired, they have captured some of the most recognisable images of the Olympics that will be used time and time again.
So often the subject of the image is where the photographers attention is drawn, but listening to these photographers have made me consider my backgrounds even more when I shoot. A good background is equally important in the composition balance to create a strong image.
