Portraits with Back Lighting: Weekly Photography Challenge by Darren Rowse

This week your photography challenge is to take and share a ‘back lit’ portrait.

One of the first rules many photographers are taught is to ’shoot with the sun behind you’ to ensure a well lit subject. However rules are meant to be broken and this is no exception – shooting a portrait subject (and other subjects too) with some nice back lighting can create some beautiful effects.

So this weeks challenge is to shoot a portrait with back lighting (light coming from behind your subject).

This doesn’t mean that the only light in your shot needs to be from behind. You’re welcome to balance it with other light (natural, reflected or artificial). You might go for a silhouette (an extreme backlight) or something more subtle – it’s up to you. I’ve included a few examples above and below.