Backlighting: glowing portraits, silhouettes and sun flare

Backlighting means the main light comes from behind the subject, toward the camera. It produces glowing hair, translucent leaves, silhouettes and a dreamy, airy atmosphere.

Glowing portraits

Put the low sun behind your subject at golden hour. Expose for the face, usually +1 to +2 stops of compensation or spot metering on the skin. The background will be bright and the hair will glow.

Silhouettes

For a silhouette, expose for the bright sky instead. Choose a subject with a clear, recognizable outline and separate limbs from the body so the shape reads clearly.

Adding fill

A reflector or a touch of flash brings detail back to the face while keeping the backlit glow. This combination is common in wedding and lifestyle photography.

Flare and haze

Shooting into the sun creates flare and reduced contrast. Embrace it for a warm, nostalgic look, or block it with a lens hood, your hand or by hiding the sun behind the subject’s head.

Autofocus tips

Backlight can confuse autofocus. Use eye AF, or partially block the sun to help the camera lock focus.