The Background Matters
in photography, and in real life!
I’m so glad you’re here! Nature Moments is a place to explore connecting with nature, appreciating the wonders unfolding in the world all around us all the time. I hope my photography + stories will inspire you to be curious, be amazed, and then do it again!
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Some of you may remember me talking about the wild Meadow Rue with the pretty leaves, which I re-located into my garden to see what would happen. Well, it has turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving. It is still blooming. Stalk after stalk of shimmery, ruffly, pink pendants, gracefully nodding through the warming summer days.
Photographing them in different lights, from different angles, I am reminded of just what a difference a background makes…
For example, this is kind of like what you’d expect from a wildflower portrait, very summer-meadow-y.
This, on the other hand, is maybe what Meadow Rue would look like if it took a spa day. It’s a little unexpected. A little refreshing and tranquil and pinch-of-salt-air-ish.
One is not better or worse, necessarily. But each image is, certainly, different! It tells a different story, perhaps makes a different connection. And that’s worth thinking about!
No matter how fabulous your subject is in person, in your finished image, the background will affect how your subject comes across. It’s just a point of practical photographic reality. And it’s the kind of thing that you start to notice instinctively, without necessarily analyzing or describing it.
The other day, my daughter found a Wood Frog - so of course she set up a photo shoot!
Now, in person, the Wood Frog is entirely captivating and delightful, no matter the setting. He is cute, and patient, and fascinating, with a penetrating stare. He makes soft little throat noises which encourage you to lean-in and listen closely. He’s as interesting in a muddy driveway as he is beside a sparkling stream. I would sit down with him in any background.
My daughter started by photographing him in the grass. Though he was very cooperative, she just wasn’t quite satisfied. So she definitely positioned him on this smooth stone, and dampened it with water from the hose to add some sparkle. “He just really stands out now, ya know?”
🤣 Oh, I know 🤣 With this carefully-crafted background, he looks fully as wonderful as he, in fact, truly is!
And this is 100% the reason why I care about the background. My subjects, all the little wild plants and creatures, are so unequivocally, intrinsically, inherently wonderful - that I just want to translate that wonder as fully as possible for you to experience - because they deserve it!
And as is so often the case, little things that I notice in nature just happen to also end up reflecting into my everyday life. Because what is true in the garden, and true in photography, is true in daily life, too. The background matters.
My oldest son was chomping at the bit to start working part-time just as soon as he possibly could. He likes to stay busy, he likes to be challenged, and he likes gaining experience and building savings. He’s currently wondering if he can fit in a second part time job this summer.
He told me once that he feels like he “needs” to work. So I asked him to tell me a little more about that. I was concerned that he might be worried about his future, and I wanted to reassure him that he’s always going to have a place to turn to if he needs help. And he said, “Oh, I know that. I just want to get the best start that I possibly can, and this is the best time I’m going to have to do it. Life’s only going to get busier in college, so I need to do as much as I can now.”
We’re happy to support his efforts, and he’s had great work experiences that have really supported his goals. He’s gained some glowing recommendations for college applications, some real-world experience in work environments and personal finances, and lots of practice balancing schedules and priorities. Work has been a really positive story for him!
We were chatting about this with my middle son, who is also looking forward to starting a part-time job, but not with quite the same level of intensity. He just has a more laid-back personality. And I looked at my husband, and something clicked.
Because my husband started working part-time just as soon as he possibly could, too. Like our oldest, his personality leaned towards staying busy, being challenged, working and earning. And he also felt like he “needed” to work. But that’s because he did. Home was not a nice place, and his jobs ensured he had enough to eat. He knew he couldn’t count on support or even encouragement, and he had to be able to take care of himself as much as he could, as soon as possible. The biggest positive in that story was that, within a few years, he had saved enough money for a path out.
Same subject. Same personality traits. Same filling high school days with part-time jobs to earn money and build savings. But, man, in life, that background really matters…
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How fun that your daughter thinks of photos in a similar manner as you! You’ve taught her well to pay attention to the details!
You're right, background always makes such a difference. My problem with that when taking photos though, is that sometimes none of the available angles provide an inspiring background and some subjects just move so quickly that you don't have the luxury of choosing the background