How to shoot creative portraits with artificial backlight source

Lead: Backlight shooting is a method often used in portrait photography. When the scene light is not ideal, how to shoot without reverse natural light source?

First, the backlight is used as the main light source to shoot.

Backlight shooting can outline the figure, strengthen the rendering of the overall atmosphere of the picture, enhance the texture and visual impact of the picture, and create artistic effects different from those seen by the naked eye for us.

The light in the overpass tunnel behind the model is used as the light source for backlight shooting, and the light flux of the lens is increased by the slow shutter, which enhances the performance of the background tone of the picture, and at the same time moderately creates the effect of ghosting the edge of the main body of the character, shaping the illusory and blurred atmosphere of the city at night and setting off the lonely mood of the character. At this time, backlight, as the' only light source' of the picture, is a surface light source, which plays a role in setting off the atmosphere. After many reflections from the building walls and the ground around the figure, it becomes diffuse light, and the directionality of the light is weakened. Photographers can arrange the position of the model in the backlight according to their own ideas without worrying about shooting failure.

Shooting tips: When shooting a night portrait with backlight as the only light source in the scene, you need to pay attention to the exposure control of the picture, take the subject as the basis for metering, try to make the lens aperture as large as possible, and blur the background while enhancing the detail expression of the subject. When holding a camera, shoot with high ISO to avoid scalding people. Using aperture priority mode, when the plane is close to the main body, it is recommended to use spot metering, which is helpful for the correct exposure of the main body, and at the same time, the exposure compensation is slightly reduced by 1 to 2, otherwise the picture background will be easily overexposed.

Second, the backlight is used as a modeling light source to shoot.

Taking ambient light as the main light source, combined with the flashing of the left rear hot shoe lamp of the model, the shooting effect of artificial backlight source is formed.

Shooting tips: when shooting with backlight as modeling light, you need to pay attention to the control of the light ratio of the picture. Generally speaking, the illumination of backlight is slightly higher than that of main light. When shooting with the scene ambient light as the main light source, we should first determine the exposure value of the subject based on the person, and then adjust the output of the modeling light source to obtain the effect of reasonable exposure of the person and clear outline of the subject.

With the front hot shoe lamp as the main light source and the model's left hot shoe lamp flashing off the machine, the shooting effect of artificial reverse light source is formed.

Tips for shooting: When both the main light source and the backlight source are controllable light sources, determine the background exposure value before shooting, and then adjust the output of the main light source to control the light ratio between people and background. When shooting this picture, the 45-degree off-board hot shoe lamp in front of the left side of the model is used as the main light source, which flashes with the 45-degree off-board hot shoe lamp on the left side of the model's head to form a backlight. The output of the front hot shoe lamp is slightly lower than that of the rear hot shoe lamp, thus producing the effects that the model's hair is illuminated, the shadow of the model's face is filled, and the light intensity at the intersection of the two lamps is intense.

The neon lights on the railing of the overpass behind the model and the spotlights of distant buildings are used as inverse light sources to outline the head of the characters and brighten their hair. By cooperating with the main light source of the hot shoe lamp in front of the figure, the figure is effectively separated from the dark background, which enhances the three-dimensional sense of the figure and improves the texture of the picture.

Shooting tip: Backlight as modeling light is slightly lower than backlight illumination. It is suggested to use large aperture lens and low ISO shooting to enhance the details of the picture and ensure the reasonable exposure of the subject. On the front of this picture, the naked light of the first 45-degree hot shoe is used to flash and brighten the figure, which enhances the three-dimensional sense of the body below the figure's head and echoes the outline of the figure's head.

Thirdly, backlight is used as point light source and modeling light source.

When used as a point light source, the light has strong directivity. If the backlight illumination is strong, pay attention to the specific position of people within the vertical distance in front of the backlight when shooting. Suggest that people just block the center of the backlight. The size of the halo of the figure contour depends on the physical position of the person and the center of the backlight. If the backlight halo is too large, people should retreat along the camera axis to effectively block the center of the backlight or move the movable backlight (such as hot shoe lamp) forward to weaken the output, so as to avoid the influence of modeling light.

Shooting skill: The hot shoe lamp arranged at the back of the picture is only used as a backlight point light source, and the output is very small, which is transmitted through the gap of the model's upper arm to enhance the strange atmosphere of the picture.

Of course, if you need to create an exaggerated backlight effect, you can arrange the model to translate from the center of the backlight to both sides of the picture or to compose away from the backlight, thus forming the effect of backlight shock.

Tips for shooting: The main light source in front of the model is only used as supplementary light, and the hot shoe lamp arranged at the back of the picture is only used as backlight point light source. The lamp holder is added with blue film and adopts large output. The blue light is strongly transmitted from the back of the characters, which enhances the cold atmosphere of the picture.