# Choose a background (https://docs.apparelai.app/photoshoots/backgrounds)
The background is where your clothing photoshoot takes place, from a plain studio to a city street or a haveli courtyard. In the **Background** step of **Create Photo Shoot**, you pick one background: a preset, one of your own backgrounds, or a background you describe in words.
The app's tip: a white studio for e-commerce, **Lifestyle** for social media and **Urban** for streetwear.
To see which of these options your plan includes, check [Compare plans](/billing/plans).
## Preset backgrounds: white studio, ethnic wear and more [#preset-backgrounds-white-studio-ethnic-wear-and-more]
Click a preset to select it.
| Category | Backgrounds |
| --- | --- |
| Ethnic Indoor | Haveli Courtyard, Palace Interior, Floral Mandap, Temple Corridor, Sheer Curtain Studio |
| Heritage | Rajasthani Fort, Jaipur Street, Varanasi Ghat, Kerala Backwater |
| Studio | White Seamless, Grey Backdrop, Black Studio, Colored Backdrop, Gradient Backdrop, Textured Wall, Plaster Studio |
| Lifestyle | Coffee Shop, Minimalist Room, Art Gallery, Industrial Loft, Staircase |
| Urban | City Street, Rooftop, City Night, Modern Architecture, Alleyway, Old Town Street, Concrete Street, Melbourne Yarra |
| Outdoor | Park, Beach, Garden, Desert, Waterfront, Forest |
| Luxury | Hotel Lobby, Marble Interior, Resort Poolside, Santorini Caldera, Maldives Overwater, Modern Luxury Lounge, Alpine Terrace, Dubai Skyline Balcony |
| Seasonal | Autumn Street, Winter Snow, Spring Bloom, Summer Golden Hour, Holiday |
For users in India, the Ethnic Indoor and Heritage backgrounds are listed first, and **Haveli Courtyard** is selected unless you choose something else. Otherwise, a studio background such as **White Seamless** is the starting choice.
### Which background to pick [#which-background-to-pick]
| You're shooting | Try |
| --- | --- |
| Photos for marketplace listings | A plain Studio background, such as **White Seamless** or **Grey Backdrop** |
| Photos for social media | A Lifestyle background |
| Streetwear | An Urban background |
| Bridal lehengas | A Heritage background, or **Floral Mandap** |
| Sherwanis | A Heritage background |
| Banarasi sarees | An Ethnic Indoor background, such as **Haveli Courtyard** |
| Cotton sarees and everyday kurtas | A plain Studio background |
### Recommended backgrounds [#recommended-backgrounds]
If you pick a marketplace in the **MARKETPLACE** bar, the backgrounds that suit it get a green border, the marketplace's logo and a **Recommended** label. For Myntra, for example, they're **White Seamless**, **Sheer Curtain Studio** and **Grey Backdrop**. See [Use marketplace presets](/photoshoots/marketplace-presets).
## Use your own background [#use-your-own-background]
Upload a photo of a place, and the shoot happens in that setting. Your backgrounds are saved under **YOUR BACKGROUNDS**, at the top of the **Background** step, so you can use them again in any shoot.
### Open the upload box [#open-the-upload-box]
In the **Background** step, click **Upload your own background** under **YOUR BACKGROUNDS**.
### Name the background [#name-the-background]
Enter a **Name**, such as "My studio" (up to 80 characters).
### Choose the reference photo [#choose-the-reference-photo]
Click **Choose image** and pick a JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC photo.
### Save it [#save-it]
Click **Save**. The background appears under **YOUR BACKGROUNDS**, ready to select.
You can also see your saved backgrounds in **Settings** › **Custom Backgrounds**. Using the same background across a collection helps it look like one collection.
Only upload photos you have the right to use.
## Describe a background in words [#describe-a-background-in-words]
Under **OR DESCRIBE A CUSTOM BACKGROUND**, type the setting and lighting you want, for example "Warm golden-hour lighting in a rooftop garden with city skyline in the background". The quick-add chips (**+ beach sunset**, **+ city rooftop**, **+ brick wall**, **+ flower garden** and **+ marble floor**) add those words to your description.
## Change the background of a finished photo [#change-the-background-of-a-finished-photo]
To put an existing photo in a new setting, use the [Background Changer](/ai-tools/background-changer) in **AI Tools**. Or run the photoshoot again with a different background.
## Related [#related]