Any Info would be helpful

[Ponyman]

Before worrying about the background, you have to know how your camera meters light. One way is to average the entire picture, another way is spot metering - only the brightness of a small area at the center (usually a visible circle or rectangle) is used for metering. (Some cameras allow you to choose.) If you have spot metering, point the metering shape at the GUN, press and hold the shutter release half-way, then frame the shot (possibly with the shape now on background!) and press the rest of the way. If you only have average metering, the background does become critical. To lighten the exposure of the GUN, darken the background. To darken the exposure of the gun, lighten the background. Another point - an even background allows maximum compression of the .jpg file, with the result that a photo with more pixels can be uploaded. A background that has "texture" - such as a carpet - will minimize the compression, resulting in a larger file for the same number of pixels. If anyone can explain how a uniform background is achieved, please jump in!!!