No More Boring White Backgrounds in 2026! Do This Instead

White backgrounds. They are the LinkedIn profile photo staple, and it’s Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2026 (well, a slightly off-white but you get the picture). But, in terms of photography, it can all get a little bit boring.

Luckily, you don’t have to throw your white seamless backdrops away completely. In this video for Adorama, Lindsay Adler shows us three ways to spice up a white background and make 2026 way more interesting.

Use Shadows to Add Shape and Drama

One of the fastest ways Lindsay transforms a white background is by casting shadows directly onto it. Instead of lighting the background evenly, she uses shadow as a design element.

Her go-to tool for this technique is a Westcott optical spot modifier. With a single light, she can shape the beam precisely, creating slices of light, geometric patterns, or hard-edged shadows that feel intentional and graphic. By adjusting the internal “leaves” of the modifier, she controls the shape of the light, and by focusing or defocusing the lens, she decides whether those edges are razor-sharp or softly feathered.

A key creative decision here is subject placement. When Lindsay positions her subject close to the background, the shadow edges stay tight and controlled. When she moves either herself or the subject slightly off-axis, the shadows stretch and add depth, becoming part of the composition rather than a distraction. She’s constantly moving, changing her shooting angle, asking the subject to step forward or back, and watching how those small adjustments affect the final image.

Actionable tips:

• Use a single, focused light source for maximum control.
• Keep your subject close to the background for cleaner shadow edges.
• Move your camera position to incorporate the subject’s shadow creatively.
• Start simple; additional fill lights can always be added later if needed.

Turn White Into Any Colour With Gels

A white background doesn’t have to stay white. With colour gels, Lindsay can transform it into virtually any hue, from subtle pastels to deep, saturated tones.

The most important rule when using gels is separation. If white light from your main light spills onto the background, it will wash out the colour and leave you with dull, greyish tones. To avoid this, Lindsay carefully controls her main light using grids, feathering, distance, or an optical spot to ensure only the subject is illuminated.

Once the background is effectively unlit, she adds gelled lights to paint it with colour. Rather than settling for a flat wash, Lindsay often layers multiple colours or allows light falloff to create gradients. In one setup, she combines warm orange and yellow gels to create a sunset-like background that’s brighter in some areas and darker in others. She leans into these variations, knowing that shifts in brightness can subtly change hue and add visual interest.

Colour theory also plays a role. Lindsay often chooses gels that complement the subject’s wardrobe or the mood of the shoot, reinforcing the concept rather than distracting from it.

Actionable tips:

• Prevent your main light from hitting the background at all costs.
• Use grids to keep gelled light controlled and saturated.
• Experiment with multiple gelled lights for depth and gradients.
• Embrace uneven lighting, it often looks more dynamic than perfection.

Project a Scene and Create a Cinematic World

When Lindsay wants to completely escape the studio, she turns her white background into a projection surface. With a standard digital projector, she can place her subject inside a cinematic environment, anything from a cityscape to a fantasy setting.

For this technique to work, darkness is essential. Ambient light kills projection contrast, so Lindsay turns off overhead lights, blocks windows, and uses tightly controlled modifiers to prevent stray light from hitting the background. The projector does most of the heavy lifting, but the real magic happens when she analyses the projected image and matches her lighting to it.

If the background contains warm highlights, she adds warm rim lights to the subject. If green tones dominate the scene, she introduces subtle green light into the shadows to simulate bounce from the environment. She often mixes continuous light (from the projector) with strobes, carefully controlling spill with grids and flags.

To sell the illusion further, Lindsay shoots with a wider aperture, often around f/2.8, to soften the background and create a realistic sense of depth. She may also add a diffusion filter, such as a Black Pro-Mist, to reduce contrast and blend the subject more naturally into the scene.

Actionable tips:

• Eliminate ambient light to preserve projection contrast.
• Match your subject lighting to the colours and direction in the background.
• Use grids, flags, or V-flats to control bounce.
• Shoot wide open and consider diffusion for a cinematic finish.

White Backgrounds Are Creative Freedom

The takeaway is simple: you don’t need exotic locations or elaborate sets to create compelling portraits. With intentional lighting, thoughtful camera settings, and a willingness to experiment, even the plainest white wall can become something extraordinary. Once look beyond the basic white background they become one of the most powerful creative tools in your studio. Check out the video below!

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