I have found that it is surprising how often you can get good results with the main light BEHIND the subject. This works only when there is something to reflect light back on the subject. If you try this in a black room, or outdoors at night, it won't work. Also, backlight can create a nice halo around the subject — if you isolate the subject with something dark behind them. So you are playing a game with geometry — you want the light coming from behind, but you also can put something dark directly behind the subject in order to help define it.
Bottom Line: Backlighting is better than you think. It can produce a gentle, soft light on the part of the image you care most about.
105mm, f16, studio strobe, ISO 200
Left
Right
If you put the subject in front of a large bright lightsource you won't get much of a photo, unless there is something to reflect light back onto the subject — and you compensate your exposure toward much lighter so you don't get a silhouette.
If you just add a big reflector in front, you can get a nice effect, but you still have to compensate your exposure toward lighter.
Here the lighting is the same as panel 1 — but we added a black square just big enough be a background, but still allow backlight. But without something to reflect light back the image is pretty moody.
Here we have the big softbox, a black square just behind Nicole, but also a big reflector in front of her. The result is a VERY soft look.
Two harsh backlights aimed at Nicole from the corners of the room, with no reflectors in front of her, other than accidental items, including me.
Here, one reflector in front is bringing soft light back onto Nicole, so that even though the backlight is harsh, the light on her face is not.
There is one harsh light behind and to the left of Nicole, with no reflector — just some accidental light bouncing back onto her.
Here one reflector is sending light back onto Nicole from opposite where the harsh backlight is coming from. Nice moody result.
If you put the subject in front of a large bright lightsource you won't get much of a photo, unless there is something to reflect light back onto the subject — and you compensate your exposure toward much lighter so you don't get a silhouette.
If you just add a big reflector in front, you can get a nice effect, but you still have to compensate your exposure toward lighter.
Here the lighting is the same as panel 1 — but we added a black square just big enough be a background, but still allow backlight. But without something to reflect light back the image is pretty moody.
Here we have the big softbox, a black square just behind Nicole, but also a big reflector in front of her. The result is a VERY soft look.
Two harsh backlights aimed at Nicole from the corners of the room, with no reflectors in front of her, other than accidental items, including me.
Here, one reflector in front is bringing soft light back onto Nicole, so that even though the backlight is harsh, the light on her face is not.
There is one harsh light behind and to the left of Nicole, with no reflector — just some accidental light bouncing back onto her.
Here one reflector is sending light back onto Nicole from opposite where the harsh backlight is coming from. Nice moody result.
