Photo.net have published a technique-based article simply called “Backgrounds”, which discusses how to make sure that the background in a photograph complements the main subject, rather than detracting from it. Reading this makes a very pleasant change from reading about yet another new digital camera!

“The first step to improving the backgrounds in our photos is to be conscious of the background’s importance to our photos. We must know that the right backgrounds can make our shots stand out. This often means simply paying attention to what is behind out subjects during our photography sessions.

Unfortunately, the complete solution is not nearly as simple. The normal goal is to keep the subject as the center of interest in a picture (not to be confused with the center of a picture). Your eye should be drawn to the subject in the final image, and the background must not be distracting from the subject. Shots must be setup to take advantage of a clean or pleasing background.”

Website: Photo.net - Backgrounds