If You Could Only Own One Background, What Color Should It Be? - Gray Backdrop Versatility Explained

[@drewsleyy3836]

That last tip was gold, I've never thought about a benefit of flash being that you can have a brighter environment, not only making focusing easier but also having the models pupils be less dilated...wow! What an awesome video

[@JohnGress]

Glad it was helpful! My Pleasure!

[@sobhhi]

that blue yellow combo goes crazyyyy

[@jamaljameelphotography960]

You’re a master teacher and photographer John! You’re videos are so informative. Thank you so much for the inspiration and for sharing your knowledge. 🙏🏾✨

[@JohnGress]

Wow, thank you so much Jamal! My pleasure.

[@josephchan4198]

Just watching the few minutes of the video just gave me some ideas to update my own photos. Will have to check my wardrobe. Thanks.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@EliInfante]

Always look forward to your videos John!

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much Eli!🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@angryanubisart8893]

i love the blue and yellow light set up. thanks for sharing this. i need to experiment with gels more

[@JohnGress]

Thanks for watching!

[@bala1000mina]

As always helpful and informative, Thank you so much John! Good luck!

[@JohnGress]

My pleasure!

[@svoivdosku]

thank you John! amazing 👌👌👍

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@darcybrown7369]

always worth a watch ! thank you

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@oscarmolina8178]

Oscar, from Nicaragua. I do appreciate that you share your knowledge, your videos are the best. Hopefully one day I may have the opportunity to attempt one of your workshop.

[@JohnGress]

Muchas gracias Oscar! That would be great!

[@PeteRezac]

Great video John! So great seeing you at IUSA!

[@JohnGress]

Thanks Pete! It was a pleasure and it’s a shame IUSA is only once a year!

[@VALERYAN581]

You have high humidity in the studio, I saw on the gray background,beautiful photos as usual, thank you .

[@JohnGress]

Yeah not the best. Thank you!

[@bewarethefuryofapatientman]

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AS ALWAYS. YOU'RE AN EPIC TEACHER AND ALSO A WONDERFUL NARRATOR, jOHN!

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! You're the best!

[@bobsykes]

Thinking of gray as just “dark white”, this all makes sense. I wasn’t expecting such wildly different looks, however. That’s impressive!

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much Bob! That’s a good way to think of it.

[@stanspb763]

Sufficently overexposed black is white also but Grey thhe most flexible being able to appear brighter with less power and appear black with modest power and using the least power to accomplish the goal means there is less stray or uncontrolled light in the room. It is all additive.

[@keithwhitephotography3495]

Love the flexibility of the grey!

[@JohnGress]

🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@matlynwood6225]

Great video John and thank you for the great tip of using a grey background to make multiple colours. This will come in handy as I learn to use a background in my photography.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you Matlyn. Best of luck to you in all of your endeavors!

[@lior2538]

I love this ❤thank you for sharing your tips

[@JohnGress]

You are so welcome!

[@jer3006]

Always helpful to see the works of a photographer who understands light! Thanks for sharing this video.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!!

[@rodrigoremedios3973]

Hey John, I'm a fan of your work here in Brazil. I would like to know if this equipment called optical snoot can be used with speedlights, or if there is a version of it for that. I don't own torches, but I would like to work on the effects of this snoot. Thanks for your attention and greetings from Brazil!

[@Neopulse00]

It uses a Bowens mount. So you could use something like a "Westcott Quick Mount S-Bracket" and mount speedlights on it like the FJ80 or FJ200 (Jinbei equivalent) for a bit more power.

[@JohnGress]

Obrigado Rodrigo 🙏🏼 it could work with speed lights with the adapters the previous commenter mentioned. However the optical snoot absorbs a lot of light and it may be difficult to make an exposure. You might want to check out a company called Magmod. magnetmod.com/products/magbeam-kit

[@countrykilo]

Amazing. I was thinking about what color backdrop should be my first purchase. Thank you 😊

[@JohnGress]

Perfect. Glad it helped. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@jackmatthews9390]

Very helpful video instruction. First time here but really enjoyable content.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks Jack! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheMrsamuelcm76]

Such an inspiration thank you for this video.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much sir! Glad it was helpful!

[@felipefaria2052]

Very good. Thanks for the contend.

[@JohnGress]

No problem! Thank you!

[@tcvaldez]

Great video. Excellent breakdown and explanation.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! I hope it was helpful!

[@mitchkarate976]

Love this!

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@cwade4114]

Great video as always, I really enjoy watching all of your lighting set ups. Thanks

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much! I am glad you like them!

[@lkfs55]

Thank you! Where do you buy your back drops?

[@JohnGress]

Hi Lorinda, This one is likely from Savage or Superior.

[@tw9535]

Wow, that was VERY nice. Great craftsmanship! And even if not powered up enough for a perfectly white (bright) background you at least (1) know that means it probably isn't reflecting anything back onto the subject and (2) is still contrasty enough to select and deal with in post where you can brighten there if you still want to. Awesome photos.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much Wilson. So true. I hope I said they need to be about 10’ from the background or you’ll be light on your subject.

[@brianstalter6569]

It's good to see more people using SAL. I find it quite useful for visualizing and reverse engineering shots.

[@JohnGress]

🙌🏼 I bought it on Black Friday. It’s perfect for teaching and making BTS from angles I could never shoot.

[@Neopulse00]

You earned a new sub John. Very good video.

[@JohnGress]

Welcome aboard! Thank you so much!

[@jimmycanuck5340]

It's amazing what you can do with thousands of dollars worth of lighting gear!

[@lim2001burger]

Great video as always :) looking forward the next video about focal lengths for portraits!

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much! Which focal length is best for portrait photography? kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooW0k5V_ob5nnc0

[@lim2001burger]

@@JohnGress oh cool - no waiting required!

[@KostasKarageorgiou]

Brilliant as always!!! 🙏🏼 Quick question: Instead of the Mola rayo can I use a beauty dish? 🙏🏼🤘🏻🙏🏼

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Yes, absolutely. Anything that size that is more of a harder source would give about the same results.

[@ne0nlightz]

Awesome video, quick few questions if you don't mind: 1) If you only had one background could you not use a green background as a green screen and then insert any colour you want to replace it in post? Let me know if there's something I'm missing (there probably is haha),. 2) Also could your tricks work if I dont use strobes and just have lights like Aputure or Zhiyun to accomplish the lighting? The lights you use seem to be photography specific which shoot when you snap a photo. 3) Would these tricks you have work for video as well where I'm wanting to shoot a video talking head on youtube and have one grey background but mix it up with different colours depending on the day? Or will it only work for photography? If this won't work for video, what colour background would be most versatile for video? Thanks so much

[@JohnGress]

Light is light so the same techniques will work for video as well. You can change backgrounds in post, but then you will have to do more work and you will also have problems masking out the hair.

[@hasteningmelon]

Could you also do the blue light look by changing the white balance in camera to 2K to make daylight look blue and then only use a gel for the eyes? In which case would you know what colour gel you'd need to compensate? Without actually doing a test shoot the best I could come up with is a bright yellow will give you a pale yellow but as everything tints blue it's hard or maybe not possible to tint to saturated yellow with another gel colour in camera.

[@JohnGress]

Maybe multiple yellow gels.

[@terrellsimmons7029]

Love this 🙌🏾🔥

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@stanspb763]

I do not have a studio but here in the large city in Eastern Europe, there are about 40 large studio complexes with many rooms to rent with scenes, cycloramas and lots of lighting options. I use 4 different studios for 60% of my work and they are only about $10/hour. The most frustrating thing is experimenting when the subject is present so I will start 30-60 minutes early getting ratios and feathering right. Finally I broken down and spent the money for a good light meter. Advice for those developing their studio chops, forget the new lens or body, invest in the best light meter you can. It saves me 30-40 minutes of trial and air in every session. The second investment is a photo-experienced makeup artist.. also a better investment than a new lens. Afterall, most of the world is f5.6-f10 so that very fast aperture $3000 portrait lens is going to be much better than some pretty common lenses are actually very good at 5.6 up. I am pretty good with imagining a good choice of lighting formula for a particular subject and goal but getting a balance imagined without a good light meter is time-consuming and is frustrating for the subject. If you are quick in getting the next needed set up and getting right to work, the subject will have a lot more confidence and be more relaxed., and that is more important than the $3000 lens also. Watching this video for pace and confidence in set up transitions is a skill that can be learned and it will mean better results with the subject. I am seldom back home in California but a workshop like John's will also be a far better investment than a lens of body and will teach you the value of having a confident predictive flow that comes from knowing how to get what you imagine and that is the real product of good workshops. I see novices all the time so gear-focused that they never really are able to master what they already have..Forget the upgrade, use the money on workshops or even take time to volunteer as an assistant in a local studio with a photographer whose work you admire. My clients are primarily skilled actors for stage and cinema, and casting directors so the subjects cooperate well with the direction as long as I move with confidence and good humor.

[@JohnGress]

I couldn’t agree more with your very wise advice. I use to obsess about gear but what really matters is how you use it.

[@thefourthquarter7429]

Great video! I dont love the 2nd image and feel it's too hot. I also want a little more wrap around. If you feather the main you still get a dramatic shot, but not potentially blown out. You might also have more depth, which never hurts. Note that I am NOT being critical, just suggesting an alternative style. Need to get a nice gray backdrop. immediately 😂😂😂😂,

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much!

[@thefourthquarter7429]

@@JohnGress Subbed, saw a list if vids and love what you're covering!

[@patricksmith7400]

Great video John! Is the gray backdrop 18% gray or just a tone of gray you preferred? Considering painting a wall a flat gray and was curious how you arrived at this particular gray.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks Patrick! I used to have 18% gray studio walls so that they wouldn't cast colors or bounce back much light. But I didn't think about painting one for a background. I think a more common gray backdrop color might be a little darker. Fashion Gray maybe 25% black.

[@marcomark8]

Why is there no link to the background or even the specific color?

[@JohnGress]

Given that any gray backdrop will do, I didn't think to include one, but that is that is quite the oversight. Here are links to Savages most popular shade of gray: Savage 107"x36' Seamless Background Paper Thunder Gray Adorama howl.me/cne8xGRwFUc Amazon amzn.to/3NjlVjC B&H bhpho.to/3zOkZke

[@divusiulius7539]

I think if we are all old enough, we might remember the Guru Master Photographer Dean Collins? His formula for turning a background completely White was 2 1/3 stops above 18% gray. And 4 1/3 stops darker below 18% to achieve total Black. But he said that was light metered by reflective Light Metering. How do I translate that to Ambient incident light Metering? If I Ambient Meter the light on my subject, that's an 18% Gray? Right? So If I put the background light at 2 1/3 to 3 stops higher to go white or 4 1/3 stops lower to get black, I should get the same effect? Yes or No?

[@JohnGress]

I think I understand. The difference ws he was metering the light reflecting off of the background and I was metering the light falling on them. If I had used his method for the white that seems like I would have gotten a better result. Or maybe I just needed to crank up the power so the light falling on the BG was plus 4.

[@MileyonDisney]

c o o l s t u f f

[@JohnGress]

Thanks Miley!

[@petemcknight803]

Plaid

[@JohnGress]

But which tartan? Royal Stewart?

[@petemcknight803]

@@JohnGress I was thinking maybe along the lines of Mel Gibson in Braveheart

[@heldermatias8804]

You didn’t say to call your mom 😭😭

[@JohnGress]

I gotta keep people guessing =P

[@wolfgangk1]

John, I noticed that most of your models' affects are flat (emotionless, not engaged) as evidenced in the final images. Also, I have a hard fast rule that models cannot engage with their phones during a photoshoot. Because I understand it's the culture nowadays, I will allow it during a break. But I'm more impressed with a model who engages in setting up considering portfolio shoots typically won't have assistance as would an editorial (many times more expensive) shoot. I include that expectation with documentation prior to the shoot, and before the actual shoot. (FOR THE RECORD: I've never had a model clap back. There is an abundance of capable, less expensive photographers out there if they don't like it. I pride myself on a certain precision that can only come about by being a "control freak" and I don't apologize. It's only disturbing to folks. There's a time for spontaneity and a time for exactness)