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I cannot claim to be an expert in any shape or form, but for my final post I thought I would add some tips I have found out along the way about backlighting.
1. Spot Meter. It is the way to go in order to light up your subject. If you meter in another mode your subject will be much too dark (unless of course you want a silhouette).
2. Think about the light. Shoot your subject against a dark background. This will make the most of the backlit parts of your subject, it helps them stand out and it also reduces the risk of over-exposing.
3. Reduce contrast. Soft backlighting when the sun is at its weakest or low in the sky will lower the contrast levels and reduce the chance of clipped shadows and blown highlights, just before sunset is a great time, such warm colour.
4. Overexpose. It is probably best not to trust your meter 100% when shooting into light. It is worth overexposing the meter to get the perfect exposure (unless you are going for a dark, dramatic, silhouette).
5. A lens hood is a must. It is best to shield the front element of your lens in order to prevent flare. unless of course this is the look you are after that is!
6. Study the light. Watch the light around you all day everyday. Think about how it falls when indoors; where and what times the light would be nice for portraits. If you want to achieve backlit images outdoors you will need to stick as close to sunrise/sunset as possible for those golden tones & wonderful soft light.
7. Move around your subject. If you don’t like the look you’re achieving simply move around your subject to change the way the light affects your image.
8. White balance. Try to get it right in camera! I use Kelvin . Generally I begin around 5590K while shooting an hour or two before sunset. This is just a starting point, then I will tweak if needed.
9. Back button focusing. I think using BBF helps get sharper focus. I toggle then use BBF then press the shutter.
10. Wear white or use a reflector. Carrying a reflector can be awkward. You can always take the easy way & reflect some light back on to your subject by wearing white!
