How Far Should Your Subject Be From the Background? Full Lighting Breakdown

Ever wonder how far your subject should stand from the background for clean, professional-looking portraits? In this video, I test subject-to-background distance at 1 ft, 3 ft, 5 ft, and 7 ft to show how it impacts light falloff, shadows, and background blur.

We also compare the results with and without a grid on the modifier, so you can see how using a grid controls spill and shapes the light.

Whether you're shooting in a home studio or a professional space, this test will help you make smarter lighting choices for your next portrait session.

📸 Test Settings:

Subject distances: 1ft, 3ft, 5ft, 7ft

Light modifier: Tested with and without grid

One light setup

✅ Perfect for:

Portrait photographers

Studio lighting beginners

Anyone wanting to improve subject-background separation

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