- 5th
- April
- 2010
Backlighting Inspiration!
Backlighting offers a lot to experiment with and can be done with something as simple as light from a lamp or window. I wanted to share a few thoughts on this and share a few images. I was looking through some of my older image folders and found that some of my favorite images are those that were backlit. Backlighting is a technique that can help to add drama to an image. A lot of beginners shy away from it because they fear over exposure of the image by shooting towards the light source or they feel that it may produce too much flare. Flare can be a good added effect at times though each lens may produce a different type of flare. I feel that if done correctly it can create a striking effect that will draw the viewer in. If working with a light meter, you can avoid some of the usual over/under exposure issues but I feel that for those still learning about exposure, this is a great way to experiment with exposing for the part of the image you want to focus on as you are dealing with a light source not directly pointed at your subject.
With fashion photography using back lighting for certain designs can showcase texture with the right rim light. A variation in set up would be to use a back light with a front reflector or smaller fill light as was used in the images I have here. Finding the right balance to create the look you are going for may break the rules of the usual studio lighting ratios but that might prove to be a good thing. One great way to experiment is instead of placing the light directly behind the subject, place your back light behind other objects or fabric to create a pattern with the light.
Controlled back lighting at a lower power is a great way to separate your subject from the background or surrounding objects. Usually termed rim light or hair light in these circumstances, you would then normally have other lights arranged to balance the image as seen in the photos below. Whether doing a naturally lit back light image or one in the studio, there are lots of creative angles one can come up with to play with such light. I wanted to blog about this in hopes that it may inspire someone else to experiment a bit more with back lighting their images.
