It's actually not background, it's foreground...part of an umbrella. And yeah, the rest of the series pulls from an umbrella and low reflector. That particular shot I bounced the shoe-mounted flash off the ceiling...thus the high light.
I went through a dark phase for awhile where i wanted everything underexposed and "edgy," and now I'm going through a light phase where I love to bathe a subject in light. It's funny how we change our perspectives on what we want compositionally.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1187154...7625805216314/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1187154...7623827225068/
This second one is taken at night outside of the art museum in KC, which has 40' glowing walls, the ultimate soft box.