Step outside on a Highveld winter morning, turn towards the rising sun, and you will quickly see why backlight photography has such a devoted following. Low light filtering through dry, faintly dusty air outlines everything in its path, from grass stems to a passer-by’s hair. Pointing your lens towards the light can feel counter-intuitive at first, but once you understand the direction of light in photography and how your camera responds to it, backlight becomes one of the most rewarding tools available. This guide explains how backlight behaves, the two signature looks it produces, the camera settings that control it and how to apply it across five common subjects.
Backlight photography and the direction of light: front light vs backlight
Backlight photography and the direction of light
Photographers usually describe light by where it comes from relative to the camera. Front light falls on the subject from behind the photographer, giving even, shadow-free illumination but little sense
