MASTER THE ART OF BACKLIT PORTRAITS

Discover how you can create dramatic and creative images when you shoot into the sun

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Portraits are one of photography’s biggest challenges, because they involve so many different considerations. Of course, one of these is the lighting you’re working with: we all know that a stunning image has so much to do with the lighting used, but it’s important to get to grips with working consciously and deliberately with specific types of light. This is perhaps particularly true when it comes to portraits, precisely because you need to be able to free yourself up to interact successfully with the subject, helping to guide them in terms of posing and expression.

Backlighting is one of the most beautiful and striking manifestations of light, providing you as the photographer with many different opportunities to create artistic and creative images. It’s not without its challenges, of course, and these will depend on the precise effects that you’re seeking to achieve.

Over the next few pages you’ll discover how to create dramatic portraits using backlight as your key inspiration – from working in the studio to going out on location, and from working with natural light to using flash. As well as the all-important shooting techniques, you’ll also discover how some judicious editing can make a big difference to your final results.

WORK WITH THE SUN

Master this essential skill for great backlit portraits