Introduction: How to Make a Pure Black Photography Background

By My Youtube Channel & More!
About: I've been making Instructables since I was 13. Now, I mostly make videos of my projects, however I'm still active here, so don't hesitate to reach out! Sick with a deadly disease called DIY-itis!

If you've seen some of my other Instructables, you would know that I'm a bit pedantic about the thumbnails of my Instructables. My pictures have to be PERFECT.

I was inspired to try a black background after practically giving up on white backgrounds. In my opinion, taking a picture on a white background is one of the best ways to make it look really professional, though, unfortunately, after months of experimenting, I'm not able to set the white balance and contrast on my DSLR camera, and even on a pure white background, with 200+ watts of LED light, the background always looks grayish bluish. Since editing all of the pictures manually is A TON of work, and still doesn't turn out well for me, I've decided that I want to experiment with a black background. Why not?

I'm really happy that I said that "Why not", because since then, I found out that pictures that are taken on black backgrounds can turn out really well too, And in this Instructable, I will show you how to create a pure black photography background, and how simple it is!

I'm also giving away a FREE PRO Membership to Instructables, so don't forget to check out the top comment (in the comments section) for more information.

Note: I am not a professional photographer-- Far from that! I've learnt all of the skills that I know through experience, while taking pictures for of my Instructables. You DO NOT need any expensive equipment to do this!

EDIT: I've also made a quick Youtube video. If you'd like, you can click here to watch my video about it. If you liked it, make sure to check out my new YouTube Channel, as I upload quick videos of my projects in action, and more!

Step 1: What You'll Need:

Below is a list for everything you'll need to complete this project. If you don't see something that you think should be here, please let me know in the comment section below. If you would like to know more about a specific tool/part that I used, feel free to ask in the comments.

Hardware & Materials:

A black desktop computer (that you don't need)

A moist paper towel

Tools (+Attachments):

Powerful lighting

Screwdriver

Electric/Power Tools:

A Computer with access to https://pixlr.com/editor/

A Camera

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subjects: Electronics Teardowns, Photography

Approximate Time: <5 Minutes

Cost (for me): FREE

Difficulty: Simple

Step 2: Find a Black Background

If you want to photograph an object on a black background, you'll need something that is black, which will as a black background, right?

"A computer?"

Yes! I found this desktop computer (for free, obviously!), and the sides of its case are made black of black sheet metal.

We don't have a TV, but if you aren't able to find a black desktop computer, I suppose a screen, when combined with great lighting, should work too.

Step 3: Take It Apart!

Keeping the whole computer made no sense, so I used a Philips screwdriver to remove the sheet metal panel. I had to remove only two screws, but your computer might be different.

I will be taking the whole computer apart soon ;)

Step 4: Clean It!

The sheet metal wasn't very clean, so I used a moist paper towel to wipe off all of the dust.

Step 5: Take a Picture (Or Two... or Six!)

Now is a good idea to set up lighting. You will need powerful, yet fairly warm lighting. If you don't have access to the sun, I've got you covered with these awesome DIY panels!

Just take a picture, as you normally do. All of these have been taken in the sun with no previous experience.

If you look closely, you can see that they're black, but they don't look pure. Do you have this problem too? I'll show you how to fix this in the next step.

Step 6: Fixing Mistakes (<1 Minute Per Image)

Picture #2 - Before editing

Picture #3 - After editing! (Incredible, right?)

You might not have an amazing camera. Your background might not be pure black. Your background might have some scratches. You might not have the best lighting. What do you do? Does this mean that your picture won't turn out amazing? Absolutely not!

If your background has a some signs of wear, I recommend taking a Bokeh picture. If this still doesn't help, I recommend going over them with a black paintbrush color tool, in an editor.

If your background isn't pure black, like what I showed in the previous step, you'll need to open https://pixlr.com/editor/. After you've opened the image that you want, you need to click on Brightness and Contrast, which can be accessed through Adjustment. I find that lowering the brightness, and raising the contrast (as much as you think), make the picture look about a million times better.

Note: I am not affiliated with Pixlr in any way. I've just learned about it (the website) several weeks ago. I'm showing you what I did, which is what I recommend doing. Other editors should work just as well for tasks like these...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to Follow me on Instructables, I have over 80 Instructables that I'm sure you'd like!

DON'T BE SHY! Liked it? Let me know! Didn't like it? Let me know why!

I read ALL comments, and reply to as many as I can, so make sure to leave your questions, suggestions, tips, tricks, improvements, and any other ideas in the comments below! - Thanks!