100 Beautiful Examples of Backlit Photography
Recently, we looked at how to set up amazing silhouette shots using strong backlighting. Today we’ll see that silhouettes are just one possibility for what to do with a good backlight. Creative backlighting seems to be extremely common in nature photography, but can produce excellent effects in other areas like portraiture as well. Here are 100 beautifully backlit photos to give you some ideas for how to setup your own unique shots!
Backlit White Rose

Backlit

backlit in tgv

Backlit Frangipani Leaves

Backlit Palms

Backlit Grasses

Backlit traffic

Backlit Cactus

volumetric tessellation without a name

backlit baby cones

Ollie Backlit

thorn flakes

Backlit Golden Retriever

Backlit Snow

Backlit Iris leaves

StephenMcleod

backlit aloe plant

backlit straws

Backlit Clouds

MIT Backlit Stairs

Backlit Blinds

backlit palms

Pevensey Castle, backlit

Backlit Fan

Backlit Flowers

Swiss Chard Backlit

backlit bridge

Backlit Pink Morning Glory Interior

Seagull Backlit

Temple blossoms backlit

Backlit Grass

Love like a sunset

your portrait

amanda eastside portrait

biomimicry

Backlit Girl

Cara

Shine

incense

Sunwashed Hair

Road flares

Soaring

Mathias

and listen

Leanne

chris13

twenty third and valencia

Za – Le concert au Sentier des Halles

my former moustache backlit

window portrait

Backlit / Processed

hicken & Liver?! Oh Boy, My Favorite!

Me-Shell

The Lunatics 1

Fluture de Noapte || Nocturnal Butterfly

I love backlighting

JD Backlighting experiment

Seasoned Love

Cropped

100 años de cosas

mer backlit b&w

F L I C K R

Mi corazón, ardía como el Windsor…

Autumn

Brilliant Flag

Mirada

Day 63 – Ice, Ice, Baby

local glacier #2

backlighting

Jumma Masjid

Fountain Glow

Backlit Man

Pires e a nova câmera

Fairy Down

Backlit Horse

Stonehenge

La alegría del canto

backlighting

Ryan

Dangled

backlighting

Cacti

Eerie

Shaver

New Life 2

Sympetrum éclaireur

Bajo el puente

Backlighting 1

grass (2)

365 Outtake

Aphid’s delight

365-44 (Feb 14)

Lens III

Iffa_Closeup_Sepia

backlit

Adam

Backlit

Backlit

il tunnel

Backlit

Share Your Backlit Photographs!
There are definitely some trends that emerge when you browse backlit photography on Flickr. Glowing hair, sun flares and translucent leaves are all popular subjects that you should consider experimenting with in addition to coming up with your own new and creative ideas.
Use the comment section below to leave a link to your own backlit shots and be sure to let us know how you captured them!








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One of my Backlit photographs: http://lost-winterborn.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2mmiwf
Is there any need to use circular polarized or neutral density filters to achieve the result we have in “backlit in tgv” and “backlit” bridge?
Took this photo with a 5MP point-and-shoot camera in Greenwich, London, UK. The Sun is hidden by the grey London clouds. Love taking pictures during this (golden) time.
Here are some of my backlit photos I want to share:
West Maui Waves: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38524442@N05/4563391511/
Barceloneta: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38524442@N05/4625110794/
Flag of Sweden: http://www.flickr.com/photos/38524442@N05/4424977223/
Carrer del Rec (Barcelona): http://www.flickr.com/photos/38524442@N05/4624502349/
With kind regards from Germany,
Maik
As a wedding photographer, I try to get some backlit photos during each couple’s first dance. I particularly like this one:
http://www.varlandphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Meghan+Bradley_0625b.jpg
That’s an amazing shot! Receptions are really hard but you certainly can’t tell from that photo.
some brilliant photos in there i especially loved the backlit portraits esp the ones in the woods. thanks for putting this together
I am not happy with this collection
Not as exciting and as beautiful as the previous Black and White set. It was one of the best I had ever seen. So please keep posting such photos and do keep up to your quality standards.
really beautiful photos. Im thrilled. thank you
Greetings Ben
Great examples! Heres a few of mine:
AZ Saguaro: http://heelontheshovel.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2lvuqw
Breakaway: http://heelontheshovel.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2jtp2c
Burst: http://heelontheshovel.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2l1oo8
Cheers!
A recent one in the morning sun
http://www.flickr.com/photos/astridclaessen/4729046977/in/set-72157624220511257/
Here are a few of mine that have backlit effects that enhance the image:
http://www.tryon.com/sjt/rants/2010/06/22/partners/partners/
http://www.tryon.com/sjt/rants/2010/06/28/3519/valiant-effort/
http://www.tryon.com/sjt/rants/2010/06/27/3503/memorial-2/
http://www.tryon.com/sjt/rants/2010/06/27/evening-duck/evening-duck/
I hope you enjoy them!
Steven
The more I scrolled down, the photos got better and better!
Stunning … Thanks for sharing …
Here are some of mine …
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/steven-image/photo?pid=1633
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/steven-image/photo?pid=1631
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/steven-image/photo?pid=53
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/steven-image/photo?pid=25
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/steven-image/photo?pid=7
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/steven-image/photo?pid=6
Hope you enjoy them.
Steven
Here are two that I took recently.
http://lazyperfection.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ln-bw.jpg
http://lazyperfection.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ln-stair.jpg
beautiful!
always interesting watching others’ solutions for back-light!
soon i’ll put mine//
(just need to be get back to my computer…:))
dorit
nice gallery!!
here is one of mine:
http://picasaweb.google.com/roxx0r.munich/RoadtripToCannes#5470679875608015218
here are some of mine ->
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vijay_raghavan/4532170653/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vijay_raghavan/4679049837/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vijay_raghavan/3431786337/
Fijate si te gustan, saludos!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparedes/3720342960/#/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparedes/3720342908/
Great collection !
Here is mine : http://www.flickr.com/photos/georun/4095700010/
How do you guys find the Photography to display here? I’m curiouse. By the way these are amazing, and “Road Flares” is my favorite
Heres one of my wifes.
http://simonewittenbergblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Mock-Shoot_-373-Version-3.jpg
WOW that is an amazing collection of photos, some really stunning images.
Nice collection
Heres a couple of mine, hope you like them:
http://artmakers.wordpress.com/fotografia/galeria-flores/galeria-flores-20/
http://artmakers.wordpress.com/fotografia/galeria-flores/galeria-flores-19/
Heres some of mine if you guys want to take a look.
http://shownd.com/badsplice/5879/Portraits
http://shownd.com/badsplice/5879/Portraits
here are a few that ive done. see what you think…
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TixzD7skknI/TCXlawqPOGI/AAAAAAAABK0/7MAuJSM_VZE/s1600/Baylee+and+Ryan+325.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TixzD7skknI/TCrrOq_LIpI/AAAAAAAABMM/kzaeiYVzkKM/s1600/baylee+and+ryan+-+319.jpg
Hi!
This are my backlight examples, all made with flash and softbox!
Party:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patunz/4702405024/
Black Laser:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patunz/4776301981/
Portrait
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patunz/4789062638/
Another party:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patunz/4789062258/
I love most of these and want to share one of my own as well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80789985@N00/3209259296/
My backlit to share with you all.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uchan31032007/4733283170/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/uchan31032007/4711512909/