Dabbling in Black Backgrounds

By Hayman Tam

As aviation photographers, we strive to improve our images, whether by refining our technique or with equipment upgrades. In the post-processing workflow, the matter of style takes shape. I know my style has been evolving constantly, and one recent style phase I’ve been exploring is that of black backgrounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A black background does wonders for truly focusing the viewer on the subject. Issues with color balance can be conveniently dealt with by converting to mono. I look for subjects with nice even lighting. Canopies and windows can be tricky depending on the light, reflections or visible background through the glass.

These images were processed using Luminar, adding a black image layer and then editing the inverted mask. Editing can be tedious, especially on biplanes with all the flying wires or the Beaver with an abundance of struts.  I’ve become a convert with my use of a Wacom tablet and pen simplifies the fine detail editing process significantly.