Silhouette and backlighting effects

Althought the results may look different, silhouetted and backlit shots are variation of the same theme. In term of exposure, they differ only in how much light is given to the main subject.

To the human eye, this seen was brighter and less colorful than seen here. A technically correct exposure would have produced a lighter image, thus failing to to record the sunset colors. Although it looks like this might challenge a basic-exposure measuring system of the camera used, by placing the sun center frame you guarantee underexposure, resulting as this example, in a visually better image than a "correct" exposure would produce.

Sunset in Jaco, Costa Rica

For this photo, I simply used my smartphone during a walk at the beach, I was surprised by the unexpected beauty of the scene, and I didn't have my photographic gears bag with me. Then , I grab my iPhone but I focus on the sky and the sun. The setting choosen by the iPnone was : speed 1/630 sec, Iso 32, 4.2mm, aperture f1.8

Silhouetted subjects

To create a silhouette, you have to expose you photo for the background alone - whether the sky or, let say, for instance, a brightly lit wall, so that the foreground objects, animal or people are recorded as very dark or even black. You have to make sure that the exposure system of your camera takes no account of the foreground. For successful result of this technique, the most effective, minimal light should fall on the main subject, otherwise the camera would start to record details of the foreground subject and the nice shape of the foreground subject. In photography, Backlighting is caused when the light source is behind the subject shining towards the camera. If your subject obscures the light source - and if you expose for the background rather that your subject – the result will be a silhouette. (ref Tamron-America.com website)

" To summerise my point. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

-Backlighting:

This technique involves positioning the light source behind the subject, causing the subject to appear dark against a brighter background. 

-Silhouettes:

Silhouettes are a specific type of backlit image where the subject is entirely dark, obscuring any internal details. 

-Exposure:

To create a silhouette, you must expose for the background, typically the sky, which is brighter than the subject. 

-Creative Control:

While a "correct" exposure might be ideal in some scenarios, deliberately underexposing, especially with the sun as the background, can lead to a more visually dramatic and artistic result, as demonstrated in the example of a sunset. "

Summer Toronto Sunrise

For this photo, I used my Nikon D3500 with zoom 70-300 mm, f 4.5 - 6.3.

Speed 1/500 sec, Iso 400,

4.2 mm,

aperture f 5.6

View of Toronto from Etobicoke - Surise on The Ontario Lake

For this photo, I used the same camera and lens : Nikon D3500 with zoom 70-300 mm, f 4.5 - 6.3, but using a different setting. The 2 pictures ware taken the same day approximately at the same time.

Speed 1/500 sec

ISO 200 130.0 mm

aperture f 57.1