February is right around the corner. Think Ground Hog and Valentine's Day. It's the shortest month of all, so make wise use of your time.
Our challenge for this month will be backlighting which is my favorite way to take my pictures. I love it when there are golden sun rays filtering through the background, or if there is nice rim light on my pictures.
 |
| photo by Rob McKelvy |
What is backlighting? Simple. All it means is that your main light source is behind your subject.
Have you heard the old saying that the best way to take photos is to "always have the sun at your back?" This results in a squinting subject, since the sun is shining directly in the eyes. Not a pretty sight or very good pictures. Putting the sun behind your subject can produce some stunning effects, and great photos.
How to backlight:
1. Placement: You are facing the sun, and your subject's back is to the sun.
2. Diffuse the sun: Choose a location where you can have the sun partially or fully hidden by your camera (like trees or a building).
 |
| Photo by Jean Smith from iHeartfaces.com |
3. Meter Mode: By default most of our cameras are set on "evalutive" or "matrix" metering. This means the camera will assess the appropriate metering based on the entire scene. "Spot" metering is weighted at the center of the shot… a very small area. This is the metering mode to use in backlighting.
The icons for metering are shown below. The one on the far left is the "evaluative" mode or default mode. The third icon from the left (the one with the green box around it) is what the icon will look like on your camera for spot metering. Refer to your manual if you do not know how to set the metering mode.
4. Use Manual mode: It is time to take your camera out of auto or AV (aperture priority mode) and use the manual mode (M). In the other modes, the camera will try to expose for the entire scene instead of letting you expose for your subject. In manual mode, you have full control on the exposure.
5. Overexpose: Because of the bright background, your meter will misguide you, giving you a darker exposure reading. To compensate, overexpose slightly, but not too much or you will blow out your highlights.
Challenge Rules:
1. Because we are studying light, try to take 4 pictures of different types of backlighting, one each week. Do not try to do all your pictures in one afternoon. If you only have time for one or two pictures, go with that. Strive for 4--1 each week.
2. No archives please. Pictures must be taken between January's meeting and February's meeting.
3. All mediums accepted.
4. No more than Four pictures may be submitted.
5. Include your photo info: Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, and any post processing you did.
More examples to stir your creative juices:
All photos by Rob McKelvy
I hope you have a lot of fun with this month's challenge. Like I said, this is my favorite type of lighting.
Enjoy, learn, and get clicking.
No comments:
Post a Comment