NOTE: This is a Guest Blog post written by Mario Mancuso for www.streethunters.net

Introduction

Every time we take a picture, most of our attention is on the main subject.

Certainly we must be careful to place it properly in the frame and position ourselves correctly in relation to the subject, we must avoid cutting off important parts of the photo. After all this attention to the main subject of the photo, we should not forget the background.

When reading numerous books and blogs written by professional photographers, I often encounter the claim that a great subject requires a great background. Very often we focus exclusively on the elements we are most interested in which is what our eyes are seeing. So, when we photograph, if we do not make an explicit effort to consider all the other elements that make up the scene, we risk including something that will ruin the final result.

The background is of fundamental importance in the composition of the image emphasizing the subject, improving the photography, or if not adequate, it may cause irreparable damage to the image, making it chaotic.