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What is Backlighting?
Backlighting is a technique used by photographers to create striking images. Backlighting is when you use the sun as a source of light for your subject. This can be done by placing the subject between yourself and the sun or by using an off-camera flash or other light source to illuminate your subject.
Backlighting occurs when your subject is lit from behind, causing them to have a strong silhouette against a bright background. This can be achieved by shooting into the sun (directly into the light source), or by using an artificial light source such as flash or strobe.
The effect can be very dramatic, especially if you expose for the background and let the foreground fall into shadow, creating a silhouette effect that leaves no detail visible at all. Backlighting is particularly useful for capturing movement in sports and wildlife photography, where you may want to freeze motion but have no control over shutter speed due to changing light conditions.
Backlighting can be used in both outdoor and indoor photography. The most common form of backlighting is when your subject is lit from behind by the sun or another light source. This gives the subject an outline that is usually more pronounced than front lighting, but it can also cause some unwanted shadows on your subject’s face and body.
The best time for backlighting is just after sunset because the sky will be dark enough to create dramatic shadows while still being bright enough to illuminate your subject
The benefit of backlighting is that it creates beautiful shadows and highlights on your subject, giving it an ethereal quality. The downside is that because there is so much contrast, it can be difficult to expose correctly in camera.
Types of Backlighting
There are two main types of backlighting: rim light and hair light. Rim light is when there is a bright light source behind the subject’s head, which creates a rim or halo effect around their face, while hair light is when there is another bright light source behind their head but further away from their body, so it lights up their hair but not as much of their face or body. Both types of backlight can be used together or separately depending on how much you want to emphasize them in your image.
Tips to Use Backlighting in Photography
Here’s how you can use backlighting in your photography:
Use Backlighting for Portraits
One of the most popular uses for back-lighting is for portraits. It gives your subjects beautiful highlights in their hair and creates interesting shadows on their faces (which can conceal blemishes).
Use Backlighting for Product Photography
You’ll often see products shot with backlighting at stores like Ikea or in catalogs like Pottery Barn Kids — but it’s also great for product photography if you want to show off detail!
Use Backlight for Dramatic Portraits
If you want to create a moody portrait with lots of drama, use backlight to create shadows on your model’s face. You can also use backlight to add some sparkle in the eyes of your model.
Add Warmth and Dimension to Your Photos
Want to give your photo some depth? Use backlight to create shadows on the face or body of your model. This will make them look more dimensional than if there were no shadows at all!
Use Backlight as Rim Lighting for Portraits
Want your subject to pop out from the background? Use rim lighting! Rim lighting is when a light source shines behind your subject and creates a glow around them. If you have ever seen someone wearing sunglasses in front of a bright background, then you’ve seen rim lighting!
To get started with backlighting in your own photography, all you need to do is find a way to block out any ambient light sources behind your subject so that only their silhouette is visible. This could be done with an object such as a tree branch or rock formation by positioning yourself so that it blocks out any unwanted light sources while still allowing you to capture your subject’s shadow on the ground or wall behind them.