DAY 324

NATURE & LANDSCAPES

Back Lighting

SETTING FLOWERS ON FIRE

A photograph consists of three major parts; subject, composition, and exposure. Whatever you’re taking a picture of is the subject. Composition refers to the relationship of elements in a scene and their position in that scene. A combination of how long and how wide the aperture of a camera is open determines how much light reaches the film plane or digital sensor, and that gives you the exposure.

Light reaching a film plane or sensor can be different from the overall lighting of a scene, which is accomplished by cropping or changing your position in relation to the light source. All other things being equal, it is lighting that determines the artistic value of a photograph.

Backlighting in bright sunlight can yield dramatic results. Here you have direct sunlight shining through a flower’s petals, which makes them glow. Flowers are the perfect subject for backlighting, because the petal is thin enough for the light to filter through. If done correctly, it looks like the inside of the flower is on fire. —WTD

Photo © Bill Diller.