ELIMINATE THE SKY

If using rim lighting to highlight your subjects, excluding the sky can help

When looking at photographs, our eyes are led to points of difference, so in a dark photograph, our eyes gravitate to the light areas. In the photo of the cacti, the lightest areas are the rim-lit spines surrounding each plant, grabbing our attention, but imagine if bright sky had been included at the top of the frame. The composition would not be as strong. In the photograph of the penguins, the patch of sky grabs our attention, but within it there’s a silhouetted penguin so attracting the viewer’s attention to this place is intentional.

1 POSITION YOURSELF

Outdoors, you have to position yourself in relation to the light. Will walking around your subject produce the desired backlighting?

2 WATCH THE BACKGROUND

Generally the background should not be confusing or distracting. Maybe a wide aperture can throw it out of focus?

3 POSITION THE SUBJECT(S)

You can have your subject in the centre, but consider other options too, perhaps balancing two or more within the frame.

4 ZOOM IN/OUT Zoom with your lens or your legs, exploring tighter crops and wider views. If wider, does the sky negatively impact the backlighting effect?

5 SHIELD YOUR LENS

Backlighting can often produce lens flare, so ensure you have your lens shade on. Shade with your hand if necessary.

6 SHOOT SAFETY FRAMES

Backlighting can produce highlights, but don’t bleach them out. Shoot safety exposures (bracket) just to be sure.