Lighting the Background

This explores the common technique of aiming a light at the background to dramatize it. We start with no background lighting in frame 1, then add more until frame 8, where all the light is aimed at the background, and almost none is getting out to the subject.

Bottom Line: Try throwing some light on a plain background to set the subject off and bring in some drama.

100mm f11

soft bounce light with gold reflector

4 to 1, main to light on background

2 to 1, main to light on background

1 to 1, main to light on background

1 to 2, main to light on background

1 to 2, main to light on background

1 to 4, main to light on background

all background light

soft bounce light with gold reflector

4 to 1, main to light on background

2 to 1, main to light on background

1 to 1, main to light on background

1 to 2, main to light on background

1 to 2, main to light on background

1 to 4, main to light on background

all background light

soft bounce light with gold reflector

4 to 1, main to light on background

2 to 1, main to light on background

1 to 1, main to light on background

1 to 2, main to light on background

1 to 2, main to light on background

1 to 4, main to light on background

all background light

Left

Right

Bounce lighting with gold reflector on right. No special lighting for background.

all bounce light

Here the flash aimed at the background has been turned on, ratio is 4 parts main light, 1 part background.

4 parts mainlight to 1 part background

2 parts main light, one part background.

2 parts mainlight to 1 part background

Equal light for main and background lighting.

1 parts mainlight to 1 part background

1 part main lighting to 2 parts background.

equal parts main and background light

1 part main lighting to 4 parts background.

1 part main to 4 parts background

1 part main lighting to 8 parts background.

1 part main to 8 parts background

All background lighting.

all background light

Bounce lighting with gold reflector on right. No special lighting for background.

all bounce light

Here the flash aimed at the background has been turned on, ratio is 4 parts main light, 1 part background.

4 parts mainlight to 1 part background

2 parts main light, one part background.

2 parts mainlight to 1 part background

Equal light for main and background lighting.

1 parts mainlight to 1 part background

1 part main lighting to 2 parts background.

equal parts main and background light

1 part main lighting to 4 parts background.

1 part main to 4 parts background

1 part main lighting to 8 parts background.

1 part main to 8 parts background

All background lighting.

all background light