Shoot in front, light from the back

    When you are studying certain photographs try to check  if the model or the subject has a halo of light. It’s called the rim light and it happens if you do back lighting.

    You can do this sort of style when it’s sunrise or sunset if you want to take pictures of nature. If you’re in a studio or indoors, use a wireless flash trigger. You can also use natural light when indoors; sunlight coming through the window. If you’ve got an access to the equipment, then use snoot or the segmented cone light shaper. It will serve as an instant spot light. It’s handy and portable and you will avoid having the light scattered all over the model.

    Color temperature takes part in this of course. But it depends on your subject and what time of day you take and the type of lighting you use. Plus, the variations of metering were tackled too: Evaluative/matrix, Center-weighted average, partial, and spot metering.

    During the actual discussion and shooting on Wednesday I wasn’t fortunate enough to find a decent place and subject to take. Also, I wasn’t able to get the borrowing slip back from the faculty office because of our make-up class. As a result, I haven’t got yet the chance to take pictures in a different location.

    Lucky me I seemed to have done this before, though not intentionally.

    When we had our practical exam in our Advertising class, I borrowed a camera from the school to shoot the video and do our homework during that time which is the portrait lighting pattern. I took several trial shots then, with our beloved pets as the models. Some of the outcomes turned out to be a little dramatic. It was near dusk, the sunlight was a bit orange. I have taken pictures just in our porch and in the living room. Pepper, the female and younger in our dogs has a habit to rest in the doorway. So, while she was there I took shots of her and since we often keep the lights off in the living room it resulted to be lit from the back. I was actually uncertain if short lighting and back lighting was somehow similar. But, I convinced myself that Pepper’s picture was a combination of both (if it’s not the same thing) because she’s got an outline of light from her nose through her back.

    I will still try to borrow the camera so I can post a better photograph to follow which I will also pass as my homework. For the meantime, please bear with my sample shots.

    Everyone, meet Pepper our hyper and sweet furry friend.

    Just pretend that the background is blurred enough.