Lately, I've been shooting stock images to use as backgrounds in other images. I thought I would ask if other people here also did this, and if they have any tips to share, on shooting images specifically for use as backgrounds.


Thanks,
Glen

depends what you're shooting and what type of background you're looking for...  Are you looking for something that's like a vista, scene, panoramic?  Then probably going widest angle lens would be a must.  I usually like to do nightshots of cityscapes, where I use a wide angle and shutter time of 8-13"

Thanks for the reply, Muevelo.

I want to build a wide collection of all sorts of backgrounds. Cityscapes, interiors, scenic nature shots, abstract patterns, you name it.

What length of lens would you suggest for shooting cityscapes, assuming 35mm format? Also, when you talk about cityscapes and wide lenses, is this for distant skyline images, or shooting inside the city, or both?

My initial thought was to shoot with a variety of lens lengths, so one could match the background's angle of view to the foreground's angle of view. Do you feel that wouldn't be necessary?

Of course, I am shooting a good mix of horizontal and vertical images. You never know which format might be needed later.


take care,
Glen

If you're doing it for your own use, shoot 2-3 shots, with different apertures and focus distances. That way, you'll need less work in post to get the background to look naturally blurred.

Keep track of camera height, angle, focal length, and camera-to-subject distance; that'll help avoid perspective mismatches when you're going for a seamless fit.