Sixth Bloom

  • Photography Tips
    • Start Here
    • Photography Courses
    • Edit Pictures Like a Pro
    • Grow Your Business
    • Learn Your Camera
    • Childrens Photography Tips
    • Family Photography Tips
    • Newborn Photography Tips
    • Senior Photography Tips
    • Wedding Photography Tips
    • Photography Projects
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Food
    • Instant Pot
    • Meals
    • Snacks
  • Kids Activities & Crafts
  • Family
    • Gardening Tips
    • Travel
    • Money Saving & Budgeting
    • Home & Lifestyle
      • Our Family Life
      • Decor & DIY
  • About Me
    • Featured On
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Me
    • Guest Post Application

March 4, 2016 By Sixth-Bloom 8 Comments

5 Tips for How to Take Backlit Pictures

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure and Privacy policies here

Sharing is caring!

40922 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Inside: Do you want Killer Backlit Pictures?  Are you wondering How to take Backlit Pictures and learn better lighting? It can be a challenge but with these tips it’s sure to help your backlit photography go to a new level.   

Hi! I am Justyna.

My story.

My photography love has started with Film, when I was just a child, chasing my brother with his gear.

I am a natural light, lifestyle photographer based in Denver, Colorado, with a deep passion for painterly frames. My art continues to be a journey where I open and close doors! Allowing myself the freedom to “notice the unnoticed” and “see” in a new way. I view every frame as a piece of art. Love blur, movement, and emotive imagery!

I’m a mother to a crazy teenager who absolutely loves Lacrosse, two rambunctious labradors: Emma and Jake, and I married my best friend, Blake, for the last 14yrs, and who supports me unconditionally in my love for photography. If you check out the blog now and then, you’re bound to see them.

 

How to Take Backlit Pictures

What inspires me? Oh my….so many things. Just take a look around you and watch your daily mundane life gives you hints…from a student holding a paintbrush in a unique way, from details around us like the way the hummingbird scouts the new location…Sometimes is nothing more than just wind, poetry, art….Love art! I have always loved watercolors and my dreamy, painterly frames usually are inspired by watercolor artists!sunflare tutorial

Also, Lensbaby gear…I love shooting with it! Lensbaby way allows me to express my authenticity. It allows me to express my vision. It takes me to a magical world by creating painterly, dreamy, and timeless frames. The blur, the movement, the perfect “imperfections” are the images I absolutely love!

5 Tips to Killer Backlit Pictures_0713

The sun-soaked frames excite me. The backlight makes the dreamiest, most painterly frames, therefore given the choice of any lighting situation I always choose backlight, no matter my subject. I am also known for rescheduling the session if the light is not right. Yes! I “see in light” and it is so worth the wait. It’s all about that buttery, yummy LIGHT.

tips for backlit pictures

When, I first started shooting, it took me awhile to figure out what is that “key” element that I always search for that I am drawn to? For as long as I remember I used to gravitate to art…drawing inspiration from the watercolors, I would always prefer an airy feel to my frames.

I wanted to create frames with heart, feel my subject…not just document it. To me…light is everything and the more I shoot, I realize there is so much more…that I have only scratched the surface. It’s kind of like with painting. Have you ever taken a painting class? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. Study the brushstrokes, the light, the color and contrast. You will be taken to a different world.

backlit tutorial

  1. Shoot into the Sun to catch flares.

Before we start talking about the flares I need to warn you. They can be very dangerous for your eyes and safety always first! Flares are my heart. They elevate your work and create a timeless image. When you start incorporating light into your frames you will understand my obsession.

To me, flares are so powerful within the frame and add so much to the story. They complete my frames.

How to Rock Your Shots with Lens Flare has a few additional tips for shooting into the sun!

tips for backlighting

Flares are created by shooting into the sunlight. They appear effortlessly when the light hits your lens in the corner of your frame. I usually find a flare and then manually focus on the subject.

Yes. Turn off your auto focus. 99% of the time I will shoot with lensbaby gear or freelens , therefore I am so used to manual focus. The best flares are created when the light is diffused by a tree, a building, or your subject. It is not necessary to aim straight at the sun.

Usually, I find that angling my camera slightly to the side or down, or just an optic when shooting lensbaby, or freelensing just a tad while still including the sun in my frame works best for pretty haze.

tips for rim light

     2.  Shoot Raw

I cannot stress enough that shooting raw will help you capture the best details possible and in post processing it’s super easy to add contrast. You will have enormous control over the tones and hues in HSL panel of the Lightroom. I do process 99 % in Lightroom 5. CC and Lightroom 6 had a special “dehaze” slider that works fantastic too for too hazy frames.

tips for backlit pictures

3. Rim light/Hair light 

Another gorgeous effect to capture is the rim light. It outlines the subject and makes them glow… I love this effect because it adds magical depth to your image.

I usually shoot wide open to add more drama and intensity to the scene. Best way to achieve this is to find a place in the shade and locate your subject covering the sun, expose to the shadows to capture a perfect rim of light.

SOOC for Rim Light:SOOC

Edited Rim Light Image:

rim of light

    4. Shoot Manual

No doubt when shooting backlit frames the correct exposure is the key.  Always shoot manual when trying to shooting backlit images. Your camera will want to naturally focus on the best lit object in the frame, aim for mid-tones.

SOOC- Raw Image:

SOOC RAW

 

Edited- showing you settings:

How to Take Backlit Pictures

5. Let GO…embrace the imperfection

Part of being an artist is to experiment and embrace the imperfection. So when you are shooting for flares, haze, learning the LIGHT…be ready for some less perfect images. They are part of the story, a fleeing moment…the emotion. Simply let go…and have fun!

tips for snuffler backlit picture tips

As Kristen from Capturing Joy states that #2 is all about the time of day you shoot!  Remember time of day dictates your lighting scenario!!!  Schedule your sessions accordingly!

 

Follow the fabulous Justyna

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FLICKR

 

Filed Under: Learn Your Camera

Popular Posts

7 Steps to Master Freelensing

7 Steps to Master Freelensing

ultimate hostess checklist

Ultimate Hostess Checklist

Easy Tiramisu Recipe

Easy Tiramisu Dessert Recipe

5 At-Home Family Date Night Ideas

« 5 Steps to a Successful Photography Workflow
Pictures in Your Home | part 4 »

Comments

  1. Heide says

    March 9, 2016 at 9:12 am

    Photography is one of my bad sides as a blogger. I’m not sure why I’m not good at it. But these neat tricks are great to try. You really do take beautiful photos. And you can show that lighting can do so much in a photo.

    Reply
  2. Alvin says

    April 9, 2016 at 7:25 am

    Thanks for this article. I especially like the last point. Always a good reminder that the emotion of the picture is the essence of good photography!

    Reply
  3. Linda says

    September 5, 2016 at 5:55 am

    I’m also a natural light photographer. I love rim light. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Ana Rangel Silva says

    November 22, 2016 at 9:21 am

    So beautifull. Thanks for the tips*

    Reply
  5. Mohan shevale says

    June 14, 2017 at 9:57 am

    Hi
    Nikon 750 best camera in wedding photography
    Canon 6d mark 2 best camera wedding shoot
    And pre wedding shoot

    Reply
    • Mohan shevale says

      June 14, 2017 at 9:59 am

      You are best photography nice shoot and editing

      Reply
  6. staven says

    July 11, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    amazing tone images

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


I'm Erin owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom! A wife and mom living the small town life in Mississippi just outside of New Orleans Louisiana. A retired piano teacher of 19 years, currently a professional photographer and blogger. I love Jesus, my family, coffee, french fries and traveling!

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023