Silhouette images are one of the most dramatic uses of backlighting.
The backlighting in a photo refers to the light that comes from behind the subject. It goes against the traditional advice many beginner photographers are taught, which is to shoot with the sun at your back. But if done right, this advanced lighting technique can create drama, shape and dimension in your photo.
Instructions
Studio Backlighting
1. Place a studio light behind your subject facing toward the camera. Use the subject to hide the fixture so it isn't in the photo and the light doesn't glare into the lens, causing flare.
2. Adjust the height until you receive your desired effect. If placed properly, you will see a halo of light shimmering around the subject. This backlighting technique is especially effective for separating the subject from the background.
3. Turn the studio light around to face the background to achieve a silhouette effect. Even though you will only be able to see the black outline of your subject, focus sharply so the silhouette edges are crisp.
Natural Backlight
4. Turn your subject's back toward the sun so you are shooting into the light. The placement of the sun in the sky will greatly affect the lighting. The lower the sun is in the sky and the more your camera is pointed at the sun, the more lens flare there will be.
5. Switch the camera to manual and set the exposure by getting in very close to the subject and reading your camera's built-in light meter. Otherwise, you're camera will evaluate the lighting for the overall scene and because of the very bright background, your subject will appear too dark in the image.
6. Use the on-camera flash as a fill light, if necessary, to illuminate the face of your subject more.
7. Create a silhouette by allowing the camera to expose for the overall image instead of the subject. Use your auto setting or experiment with the manual settings. To make the subject a richer black, use a smaller aperture setting.
8. Use the sun as a backlight to show a subject's transparency by placing it so the sun shines through it. Don't place the subject directly in front of the sun so you are not shooting into the sun and risking flare.
Tags: your subject, shooting into, studio light, your camera
