Natural Light, Backlight and Silhouettes

Bach Photography walks through a golden hour portrait shoot lit only by the sun, using a Sony A7R II and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art with no flash or reflectors. Model, camera and low backlight are positioned deliberately to avoid harsh shadows, then a Photoshop edit adjusts clarity, highlights and colour.

Andrew Boey distinguishes a shadow from a silhouette, then builds one with a Canon 580EX II hidden behind the model in slave mode. Settings of f/16 to f/22, low ISO and 1/250s keep the subject black, the flash's wide panel widens the spread, and gels colour it, costing two stops.

Paul from Photo Genius sets his nineteenth photo challenge: silhouettes, with the rule of thirds as a composition focus. He analyses a sunset surfer shot, shows how backlighting against a bright sky renders a subject black, and demonstrates darkening the figure and tightening the crop in Lightroom, Photoshop and Snapseed.

Rupert of Fine Art Street Photography uses backlit Barcelona scenes to show how figures read in silhouette against architecture. Hats, flowing coats and expressive walks add character; he shoots at small apertures, underexposes a third of a stop, exposes for the brightest areas, and favours continuous shooting and low angles.

Roman Fox offers tips for grey overcast weather: overexpose by 0.3 to 0.6 stops, find contrast by shooting from dark places into brighter ones, let a blank sky blow nearly white, and seek a few colourful elements. An Edinburgh scene is edited in Luminar Neo with curves, HSL and temperature.