Gray photography backgrounds are classic and timeless. Perfect for both formal and casual portraits, they help keep the focus on your subject in the image. But gray is just gray, right?
Well... not quite.
Colors can be categorized in several ways. In photography, we often think of colors in terms of relative "temperature" around the color wheel. When a color has proportionally more blue, we call it "cool," and when it has more yellow (the opposite of blue), we call it "warm."
Contrasting, or "complementary," color temperatures enhance each other. Blue appears bolder next to yellow, and red really pops against green. Analogous colors, which are close to each other on the color wheel, create a sense of harmony and cohesion.
When there is no dominant color tone, we get a true neutral color – white, gray, or black. These neutral colors are neither warm nor cool and have no hue or "color cast."
In the chart below, Colorama and Manfrotto neutral and gray backdrop papers are organized from top to bottom by tonal value (brightness). Be sure to review this and other color samples on a color-calibrated screen.
Note that there are several shades of gray that are near-neutral in temperature, but none are exactly technically neutral gray. Looking for something similar to an 18% gray card? Try Colorama Urban Grey!
The principles of color temperature can also be applied to skin tones. Ask any makeup artist or wardrobe stylist, and they will confirm that this concept is fundamental to their work.
A very golden skin tone can appear pale or even sickly against a cool, bluish background. However, the same warm skin tone looks much healthier and more natural against a backdrop with a peach tone. Similarly, very fair skin tones with bluish undertones look best against cool backgrounds, as warm backgrounds tend to be less flattering and can make the subject appear too washed out. By familiarizing yourself with variations in skin tones, you can more easily select the Savage Seamless Paper colors that best highlight your subject.
By controlling how much light falls on your background, you can achieve lighter or darker shades of gray with any of Colorama and Manfrotto's gray papers.
Enhance your subject's beautiful skin by choosing a background that complements their skin tone rather than contrasting it. The subtlety of warm and cool gray tones can truly add elegance and sophistication to your portraits.