1 Gray Background, 5 Different Looks & Colors

Our favorite photography educator, John Gress, tackles one of the most practical questions in portrait photography: if you could only own one background, what color should it be? His answer might surprise you – it's gray. But not for the reasons you might think.

In this video, John demonstrates the incredible versatility of a single gray backdrop by creating five completely different looks with model Christian. From basic catalog shots to dramatic film noir portraits, he proves that it's not about the background itself, but how you light it.

Look 1: The Foundation Shot

John kicks off with what he calls the "mystery background" – a simple gray backdrop that every model needs in their portfolio. This is bread-and-butter territory, the kind of clean catalog shot that pays the bills.

Setup:

• Ellen Chrome ELC 500 with 150cm octabox (model's left)
• Camera settings: 1/1200s, f/5.6, ISO 100

"Every model is going to need a picture like this," John explains, noting how the same setup could easily transform into a fashion image with more dramatic lighting, clothing, or posing. It's the photography equivalent of a little black dress – works every time.

Look 2: Blue Night Magic

Next, John completely transforms his gray background into a rich blue nighttime scene, proving you can change the backdrop to any color you want using gels. It's like having an entire backdrop collection hiding in plain sight.

Main Light Setup:

• Mola Rayo 15" hard reflector with blue gel
• Light meter reading: f/4 on model's face

Background Magic:

• Two 7" reflectors with blue gels bouncing off V-Flats
• Light meter reading: f/4 on backdrop
• Creates perfectly even background lighting

The Sizzle Factor:

• Nice Photo SN29 optical snoot with slit gobo and yellow gel
• Set to half power (5.3 on Elinchrome, 250 watt seconds)
• Light meter reading: f/5.6 on eyes
• Combined exposure with main light: f/8
• Camera settings: 1/1200s, f/8, ISO 100

John's color theory game is strong here – blue creates that nighttime mood while the complementary yellow provides serious visual punch. He admits the setup gets a bit cramped, requiring some manual light wrangling mid-shoot to nail that perfect eye streak. John discovered through previous experimentation that bouncing light off V-Flats gives the most even background coverage – sometimes the best techniques come from trial and error.

Look 3: The Gradient Game

John shows how that same gray backdrop can create a smooth gradient for classic film noir vibes. This is where understanding light falloff becomes your secret weapon.

Main Light:

• Mola Rayo pointed away from background
• Light meter reading: f/8 (slightly overexposed for better B&W contrast)

Edge Light:

• 7" reflector (no grid) behind model
• Light meter reading: f/4 on back of neck

Gradient Creator:

• 7" reflector placed 18" from backdrop
• Start at minimum power, test shots to dial in the look
• Light meter reading: f/11 on backdrop (1⅔ stops over exposure)
• Camera settings: 1/1200s, f/5.6, ISO 100

John's pro tip: Position the background light 1-3 stops brighter than your shooting exposure. Sometimes he'll add a grid for more dramatic falloff, but getting close to the backdrop usually does the trick.

Look 4: Pure Black Drama

Without changing the backdrop, John simply flicks off the gradient light and boom – pure black background. Same backdrop, completely different universe.

The Setup:

• Same lighting as Look 3, minus the background light
• Only edge light and main light remain
• Background goes black from underexposure

"That's what happens with a gray background when you underexpose it," John explains. "It just gets darker and darker and darker."

The beauty is you don't always need to point lights away from the background. Sometimes natural light falloff over distance does the heavy lifting – if your subject is about three stops brighter than what's hitting the backdrop, you're in black territory.

Look 5: Clean White Transformation

For his final trick, John pulls the ultimate backdrop switcheroo – turning gray into crisp white.