Finding backlight

Finding Backlight

The positioning of my compositions is often dictated by the light to achieve the best results, and in this lesson, I'll be discussing the ideal scenario for a beautifully lit image.

In My Kit

• Camera
• 24mm - 70mm lens
• Tripod
• Lens hood
• Cable release
• Neutral density graduated filter
• Filter holder
• Flag - black card

In This Lesson You'll Learn To:

• use backlight in your composition
• use leading lines in your composition
• use neutral density filters on location
• flag your lens to avoid flare

Recommended Previous Lessons:

• the exposure triangle
• understanding cameras and lenses
• neutral density filters

Shooting the Rotunda

I prefer my shots to be backlit, and this informs the order and time at which I photograph any outdoor scenario.

If you imagine a clock face, you can find the ideal angle of backlight if you position your frame so that the sun is either at ten to the hour, or ten past.

Using Neutral Density Graduated Filters

If you're finding that the sky is coming out white and slightly overexposed, you can slide a neutral density filter in front of your lens to reduce the contrast.

Another technique is to take two exposures - one for the sky and one for the landscape - and then blend them together in post production.

Avoiding Flare

When shooting into the sun, there's always a risk of flare. To avoid this, you can use a flag, which could just be a piece of black card, to prevent the light from hitting the lens.

Considering Leading Lines

Leading lines and foreground interest are important things to think about when finding your composition. Ideally you want there to be a structure or arrangement of elements within your frame that guides and leads the eye through the photograph.

Finding Elevation Can Help with Your Composition

It might be that getting higher and looking down into your composition will be hugely beneficial. A recce beforehand is well worth doing to explore these different viewpoints.

Choosing Your Lens and Settings

For this shot, I've chosen a 24-70mm lens - and this tends to be the one I use for most wider overview shots.

To obtain a large depth of field and ensure the image is sharp from the foreground through to the background, I've chosen a focus point that's roughly a third into the shot and set the aperture to F/16 with a slower shutter speed.

I always set my camera to its lowest ISO setting, which is ISO 64. As a general rule, the lower the ISO, the better the quality or resolution of the final image.

If you need to compensate for a slower shutter speed, you can experiment with pushing your ISO higher.

Allow Your Tripod to Slow You Down

As well as keeping your camera steady, using a tripod also tends to slow you down, which is also an advantage! This enables you to really study every element of your composition, and evaluate your exposure as you go.