The power of a background in portrait photography

Ever since Irving Penn first started experimenting with white paper backdrops in the 1940s—and later, an old, repurposed theater curtain from the 1950s—portrait photographers have been pushing the boundaries of what backgrounds can look like. Far beyond the scope of the conventional, artists on 500px have found new ways to use traditional studio items—such as… Continue reading The power of a background in portrait photography