How to Make Your Background Black, White, or Gray with Just One Light with Lindsay Adler

In today’s video, I show you how I take a white background and make it white, gray, or black using just one light. A lot of my lighting work is known for being bold and complex, sometimes with six, seven, or even eight lights. But I didn’t start there. I started by mastering how to control a single strobe, and that’s exactly what I’m going to cover today!

We’re going to look at how you can take a single strobe and make a white background appear white, gray, or black. This is especially useful if you only have one light available or you’re shooting against a white wall, which is a great place to begin.

Controlling Background Tonality:

1. Distance – The first key factor is distance and the inverse square law. I’ll explain how moving the light farther away from the background and placing your subject closer to it can make the background appear white. By adjusting the subject’s distance from the light, you can also turn that same background from white to gray or even black. I’ll break down how this works practically.

2. Feathering – Feathering the light involves changing the angle of the light to control where it spills. By angling the light away from the background, you can reduce how much light hits it, making it appear darker.

3. Grids – Grids help you control the spill of light, forcing it to go in one direction instead of spreading out. By adding a grid to your modifier, you can make the background appear almost pure black. I’ll demonstrate how to use grids with softboxes and beauty dishes to tighten the light and create dramatic backgrounds.

By mastering these three techniques—distance, feathering, and grids—you’ll be able to control the background in your photos even with minimal equipment.

I highly recommend checking out my Master Studio Lighting class for a much greater breakdown on this topic (Lindsayadler.photo/msl). In this course, I take you step by step from using one light to working with three, progressing from beginner to professional capabilities. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to take their lighting skills to the next level.

Lindsay Adler is a Fashion and Beauty Photographer, Educator, and Author based in New York City. Her editorials have appeared in Bullett Magazine, Zink Magazine, and Fault. She has contributed to photo publications such as Professional Photographer, Rangefinder Magazine, and Popular Photography.

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✘ GEAR USED:

Canon R5 Mark II
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Canon RF 24-105mm F2.8
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Profoto Pro D3:
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Profoto 3ft Octabox + Grid:
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Savage Universal Super White Background:
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#photographybackdrops #background #adorama

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Video shot by: @SamuelBouret

Be sure to check out lindsayadler.photo/msl for an in-depth studio lighting tutorial!

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THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING!