A comprehensive guide to backgrounds, this guidebook instructs professional and amateur photographers on how to master the art of an often overlooked, yet essential, aspect to portrait photography. Highlighting a wide swath of background options—including painted backdrops and sweeps in a studio, working with blue and green screens and various digital options, or working on site in urban and rural settings—this resource provides hundreds of images that not only illustrate good form and best practices, but that also touch upon common pitfalls and aspects that should be avoided while shooting. Rounding out this book are images and commentary from several professional photographers, including Shannon Sewell, Gary and Pamela Box, Jen Basford, and Michelle Moore, that highlight important aspects of backgrounds and reinforce the lessons and chapters.