This is a crude depiction of what I end up with. Because the background ends up so far behind, I can't position the figures in the places on the background that I want them to be in. If I import the background so that it fills up the entire pose window, I can position the figures as I want them, but I can't apply lighting to the figures AND the background, and since I don't know how to make my own lights, I use ready made ones, so in order for it to look "put together", I have to apply those same ready made lights to the background too.

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi