It gives you a gorgeous soft light that can be used in many different ways. However, it is extremely useful in the middle of the day when the sun is high. The shade just inside a door, or under an awning can be beautiful at any time of day.
Once learned, this type of light becomes such an asset when out on location. If you find your shadows going too dark, simply add in a reflector for fill opposite the window. The key when using this type of light is to expose for the highlights of what you are shooting to maintain the depth of the light. A window around eye-height for a portrait can produce a beautifully flattering portrait reminiscent of old paintings or illuminate food for a scrumptious looking dish with vibrant colors. The soft yet directional quality of window light means that it crafts a very three-dimensional look right from the get-go. It can be wonderful when photographing portraits, food, still life, or just about anything really. Window light is another love of many photographers. You can find this light when the sun is directly above (think alleyways with a slash of sun coming in) or when only ceiling lights are present (as with my image in the Seoul metro system below). I find it very useful when I am aiming to create a deeper, darker mood than my usual work. A harsh beam of light coming from directly above your subject can make for an air of mystery or darkness that a more flattering light will not. This one may not be useful for all subjects all the time, but it can create very dramatic scenes. The warm glow of sunset lighting up the dust and smoke on the plains of Bagan in Myanmar is one famous example of this that attracts photographers from all over the world. This can create a lot of mood in your images and is one of my favorite ways to use back light. These things become illuminated when they are back lit and start to glow. Try a wide angle lens like a 24mm and see what happens.įinally, you can use this technique to play with atmospheric conditions like smoke, clouds, or dust. Again, lenses all react differently to this. This will create a star shape from the light of the sun and usually a lot of flare artifacts. Stop your lens down significantly, to something like f/11 or f/16. Next, place the sun in your frame, allowing it to just peak out from behind another object. Different lenses will react differently to this type of composition, so experiment with each of your lenses. You will achieve a softer look than normal due to the light flaring into the lens and reducing contrast. Try shooting this shot with a 50mm or 85mm prime and a wide open aperture like f/1.4 or f/1.8. This may cause the subject not to read well.Ĭompose so that the sun is just outside of your frame and expose for your subject. You want to be sure that your subject does not overlap with anything that might detract from its shape. One of your main concerns when photographing a silhouette is overlap. If the light behind your subject is strong and there is no other illumination on it, you will end up with a black silhouette. Simply place your subject between yourself and the light then expose for the background. Maybe one of the easiest ways to use backlight is to create silhouettes. Shooting this type of light presents its own set of challenges and each lens and camera will react differently. The only thing that all forms of backlight share, as the name suggests, is that the light source is behind the subject. It allows us to create various moods depending on atmospheric conditions and choice of exposure and framing.
Backlight is a favorite of many photographers.
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