diff --git a/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/lens.py b/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/lens.py
index b5b466467..31ff6dfec 100644
--- a/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/lens.py
+++ b/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/lens.py
@@ -46,12 +46,15 @@ class Lens(ParallelAnalysisInterface):
         """
         self.setup_box_properties(camera)

-    def new_image(self, camera):
+    def new_image(self, camera, color='k'):
         """Initialize a new ImageArray to be used with this lens."""
+        from matplotlib.colors import to_rgba
+        color = to_rgba(color)
         self.current_image = ImageArray(
             np.zeros((camera.resolution[0], camera.resolution[1],
                       4), dtype='float64', order='C'),
             info={'imtype': 'rendering'})
+        self.current_image += color
         return self.current_image

     def setup_box_properties(self, camera):
@@ -152,13 +155,6 @@ class PerspectiveLens(Lens):
     def __init__(self):
         super(PerspectiveLens, self).__init__()

-    def new_image(self, camera):
-        self.current_image = ImageArray(
-            np.zeros((camera.resolution[0], camera.resolution[1],
-                      4), dtype='float64', order='C'),
-            info={'imtype': 'rendering'})
-        return self.current_image
-
     def _get_sampler_params(self, camera, render_source):
         # Enforce width[1] / width[0] = resolution[1] / resolution[0]
         camera.width[1] = camera.width[0] \
@@ -299,14 +295,6 @@ class StereoPerspectiveLens(Lens):
         super(StereoPerspectiveLens, self).__init__()
         self.disparity = None

-    def new_image(self, camera):
-        """Initialize a new ImageArray to be used with this lens."""
-        self.current_image = ImageArray(
-            np.zeros((camera.resolution[0], camera.resolution[1], 4),
-                     dtype='float64', order='C'),
-            info={'imtype': 'rendering'})
-        return self.current_image
-
     def _get_sampler_params(self, camera, render_source):
         # Enforce width[1] / width[0] = 2 * resolution[1] / resolution[0]
         # For stereo-type lens, images for left and right eye are pasted together,
@@ -524,14 +512,6 @@ class FisheyeLens(Lens):
         super(FisheyeLens, self).setup_box_properties(camera)
         self.set_viewpoint(camera)

-    def new_image(self, camera):
-        """Initialize a new ImageArray to be used with this lens."""
-        self.current_image = ImageArray(
-            np.zeros((camera.resolution[0], camera.resolution[0],
-                      4), dtype='float64', order='C'),
-            info={'imtype': 'rendering'})
-        return self.current_image
-
     def _get_sampler_params(self, camera, render_source):
         vp = -arr_fisheye_vectors(camera.resolution[0], self.fov)
         vp.shape = (camera.resolution[0], camera.resolution[0], 3)
diff --git a/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/render_source.py b/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/render_source.py
index 434401f87..0b06b90cc 100644
--- a/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/render_source.py
+++ b/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/render_source.py
@@ -467,10 +467,7 @@ class VolumeSource(RenderSource):
         if self._volume is not None:
             image = self.volume.reduce_tree_images(image, camera.lens.viewpoint)
         image.shape = camera.resolution[0], camera.resolution[1], 4
-        # If the call is from VR, the image is rotated by 180 to get correct
-        # up direction
-        if self.transfer_function.grey_opacity is False:
-            image[:, :, 3] = 1
+
         return image

     def __repr__(self):
diff --git a/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/scene.py b/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/scene.py
index e27185943..309a0bb7a 100644
--- a/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/scene.py
+++ b/yt/visualization/volume_rendering/scene.py
@@ -107,6 +107,34 @@ class Scene(object):
             return self.sources[item]
         return self.get_source(item)

+    _background_color = "black"
+    def background_color():
+        doc = """
+        The background color sets the color of the scene's background.
+        Note that background_color cannot be set if the scene contains
+        a VolumeSource with a grey_opacity=False transfer function
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        background_color : string or 3 or 4 element iterable
+            The color to use for the background. It will be converted
+            to an RGBA tuple using matplotlib.colors.to_rgba.
+        """
+        def fget(self):
+            return self._background_color
+
+        def fset(self, value):
+            for source in self.sources.values():
+                if isinstance(source, VolumeSource):
+                    tf = source.transfer_function
+                    if not getattr(tf, 'grey_opacity', False):
+                        raise RuntimeError(
+                            "Cannot set the background color for a render "
+                            "source with grey_opacity=True")
+            self._background_color = value
+        return locals()
+    background_color = property(**background_color())
+
     @property
     def opaque_sources(self):
         """
@@ -522,7 +550,7 @@ class Scene(object):
         """
         if camera is None:
             camera = self.camera
-        empty = camera.lens.new_image(camera)
+        empty = camera.lens.new_image(camera, color=self.background_color)
         opaque = ZBuffer(empty, np.full(empty.shape[:2], np.inf))

         for k, source in self.opaque_sources: