Backlit portraits can be a fantastic way to add drama and visual interest to a photo, but they also require some special considerations to get the effect you want and to maintain the best possible image quality. If you would like to improve your backlit portraits, check out this great video tutorial that features five excellent tips to help you get your photos just right.
Coming to you from Julia Trotti, this excellent video tutorial discusses five tips for backlit portraits. If you enjoy shooting such portraits and use a mirrorless camera, you should consider working with vintage lenses. Vintage lenses generally lack the coatings of modern lenses, making it easier to create lens flares if you enjoy that effect. And, of course, they are far more affordable than modern lenses, making it easier to experiment with different options and find one you like. The downsides are that they will be generally be a bit softer and won't maintain contrast as well in the face of a bright light source in the frame, plus they are often manual focus only. Thankfully, though, the focus assistance features in modern mirrorless cameras make working with manual focus lenses much easier nowadays. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Trotti.
1. Position yourself at different angles from the sun
2. Find parts of your location that you can use to diffuse the backlight
3. You want the light to be as even as possible
4. Decide to use a lens hood or not
5. Slightly underexpose to protect highlights