There are many reasons why companies need photographers. They may want their employees to have picture IDs for business security purposes or they may be putting together promotional materials. Whatever the reason, corporations look to hire a portrait photographer.

Picture the perfect setup for a photography shoot — your equipment all ready to go, the weather conditions shaping up nicely and a great piece of scenery or an interesting subject to look forward to. Sadly, this perfect setup is quite rare in the world of photography, where something always seems to go wrong. As a photographer, you need to be prepared to handle whatever unexpected surprises are thrown your way. If you’re struggling to get past all the curve balls thrown your way during any given photo shoot, you may want to carefully examine your preparation process to see if you are unintentionally leaving out essential details.

In portrait photography, short and broad lighting techniques are two unique ways to place lighting on a subject’s face. With short lighting, shadows cover a majority of the subject’s face, while in broad lighting the face is more illuminated. Each technique can be achieved through light placement and the subject’s position on the photo backdrop and in the frame.

Seamless backdrop paper is one of the most common types of photography backdrops. It’s inexpensive price tag and consumable nature makes it perfect for a variety of uses, including: portraits, commercial photography, product photography, video photography and more. Seamless paper backdrops can also be used for non-photography related needs as well, such as: decoration, theater productions, banners, and posters. Although this material is beneficial for its economical price, paper backgrounds should never be regarded as “cheap” or “disposable”. With proper maintenance, your background will give you years of service.

While many photographers prefer to work with whatever natural backdrops are available when they work on location, sometimes a natural backdrop or location just isn’t practical. They may get to the site and discover it is too small, or doesn’t provide the photographer with enough control in order to get the shot he wants. In these cases it is good to have a collapsible background handy in order to better control the photo shoot and get the perfect shot.

Has your photography habit turned serious? Are you dreaming of setting up a photo studio all your own? Here’s how to turn those lighting, tripod, and backdrop visions that are dancing in your head into the reality of a professional photography studio.

Choosing a photo background for a shoot is serious business. While seamless paper comes in solid colors, the color you choose will affect your finished product either positively or negatively. Choose too conservatively and your subject looks boring. Throw too much caution to the wind, and you’ll come off as garish.