*For more information visit AdoramaTV YT page, and of course you can keep up with David on Instagram and Twitter @DavidBergman. LATEST UPDATE: David opened up new IGTV episodes where you can ask him questions live! find out more at http://www.AskDavidBergman.com
Setting the proper exposure for backlit subjects can be tricky. What does it mean when your subject is backlit? Photographer David Bergman shares his techniques on producing great shots in this setup – “Generally it’s when you have more light hitting your subject from the back than from the front. Sometimes you’re forced into a backlighting situation because you can’t move your subject or yourself, and that’s just where the light is coming from.”
“Other times you might choose to light your subject that way because it just looks cool, and you can really make your images pop. Getting proper exposure on a backlit subject can be a bit tricky. You generally have two options, your first is to meter for the background and let your subject become a silhouette.”
“This works well if you have a nice sky in the back or if your subject is something recognizable, even in shadow. The other option is to expose properly for the front of your subject. In this case I’ll take a spot meter reading on model’s face to get the proper settings. A bright background like the sky will usually be blown out, and you won’t see much separation where her head ends and the background starts. That might be the look you want, however if I turn around and put her against a dark background it’ll accentuate the backlight, giving the image a unique look.”
“Raindrops show up really well when backlit against the dark background. I’ll slow my shutter speed down just a bit, to get some motion as the drops are falling. Now you see we can create a really fun portrait with just a little help from a standard garden hose. So remember whether you find yourself in a backlit situation, or create one yourself, use the light to create unique images that stand out from the background.”
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