Sometimes the sun is exactly where you want it least: right in front of your lens, glaring and ready to blow out every shot. Yet this very situation is one of the most rewarding challenges in landscape and portrait photography. Backlighting at sunset delivers warm colors, soft edges, and areas of light that instantly give an image atmosphere.
The video is only loaded from YouTube when you play it – data (including your IP address) is then transmitted to YouTube/Google. More in the privacy policy
In this guide, you will learn how to deliberately tone down the sun, hide it behind subjects, and get the foreground evenly bright despite a strong backlit situation. I will also show you how to help things along with a reflector and targeted editing. The strategies come from my own practice and are meant as a starting point. Every situation brings its own conditions, and that is exactly where the appeal lies.
Key Takeaways
You cannot move the sun, but you can tone it down and hide it behind objects. Slight underexposure keeps the sky from burning out, while a reflector brightens the foreground. Ambient light from water, stones, and trees helps keep the scene lively. And in the finished image, the sun should be visible at most as a glowing shimmer.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Understanding the Sun as a Weakened Light Source
Before you raise your camera, you should understand what happens to the light at sunset. The sun low on the horizon has to pass through significantly more atmosphere than at noon. As a result, it loses energy and appears milder. That is your first advantage. You cannot adjust the sun like a spotlight, but you can work with its natural weakening and use it as a soft, warm light source.
Step 2: Hiding the Sun Behind the Subject
The most effective trick is to let the sun disc itself disappear behind the subject. Position yourself so that, for example, a tree, a person, or a building partially or completely covers the sun. This creates a glowing rim of light along the subject's outlines, which gives the image depth and drama. Make sure the entire sun is not covered, because small remnants of light at the edges are often exactly what creates the appeal.
Step 3: Deliberately Using Rim Light and Lens Flares
When you hide the sun behind the subject, fine strands of light often appear on hair, leaves, or twigs. These details almost always look impressive. Lens flares, that is, the light reflections within the lens, are not a flaw here but a stylistic device. They can make an image lively and playful. Use them deliberately by changing the angle slightly until the reflection appears in the desired spot. Too many reflections can distract from the subject, however, so you should use them in moderation.
Step 4: Choosing the Location Creatively
The choice of location often matters more than any camera setting. Trees are my standard solution here, because they can cover the sun in various sizes and shapes. In a park, you will find plenty of such subjects. Buildings, mountains, or hills are also excellent for hiding the sun. So take your time looking around before you commit, and try out different positions, because the best perspective is often just a few steps away.
Step 5: Slightly Underexposing Without Blowing Out the Background
With backlighting, you have to find a balance. The background, meaning the sky with the sun, must not burn out completely. To achieve this, you expose a little darker than your light meter suggests. At the same time, however, the foreground must not become too dark, otherwise you lose details and colors. The art lies in keeping the foreground bright enough that it remains recognizable. So test several exposure levels and check the histogram as well as the display on the screen.
Step 6: Deliberately Using Ambient Light
Even when the sun is covered, plenty of light remains in the scene. Water reflects the sky and brings additional brightness into the image. Trees also give light back, and bright stones or rocks can act like natural reflectors. Pay attention to which direction this ambient light comes from, and choose your viewing angle so that you can use it. It is often exactly this angle that makes your image feel so harmonious in the end.
Step 7: Brighten the foreground with a reflector
If the natural light isn't enough for you, for example because your subject is in the shade, a reflector can help. It is a simple and inexpensive solution that you can get from a photo retailer or online. Hold it in front of the subject so that it bounces the sunlight back from the side or from the front. The brightening then looks natural and the scene stays coherent. Having a little helper hold the reflector for you makes the work much easier.
Step 8: Choose the right side of the reflector
Many reflectors have two sides. The silver side bounces back a lot of light and creates a crisp, sometimes almost exaggerated brightening. If that is too strong for you, use the white side. It provides a softer brightening that looks especially pleasant in portraits. Try both variants and compare the results directly on the display before deciding on one.
Step 9: Lift the shadows in editing
You can also improve the image deliberately after the shot. In my editing, I often lift the shadows slightly in photos like these. This makes dark areas of the foreground visible without the sky losing its mood. The result looks more dynamic and makes optimal use of the available ambient light. Proceed carefully, because overly strong adjustments quickly make the image look artificial.
Step 10: Be patient and adjust the settings
Backlight photography takes practice. Getting the right exposure, which actually looks too dark, doesn't succeed right away. So plan enough time and shoot several variations. Also keep in mind that the camera settings I show you can turn out completely different for your subject. Even a few minutes' difference in how the light progresses changes the situation significantly. So don't blindly rely on fixed values, but keep adapting them to the conditions.
Step 11: Only hint at the sun
The last and perhaps most important principle is: shoot against the sun without taking it clearly visible into the picture. At most, it should shine through slightly or be recognizable as a soft glimmer. This restraint ensures that the image stays balanced and the atmosphere in the foreground takes center stage. So repeat the steps deliberately: hide the sun, slightly underexpose, brighten the foreground. Then your result will reliably be atmospheric.
Summary ??? Shooting backlight at sunset: Tips for atmospheric images
At first glance, backlight at sunset seems like a problem, but it offers great creative possibilities. You now understand why the low-hanging sun is milder and how to hide it behind trees, buildings, or other subjects. With slight underexposure, a reflector, and careful editing, you bring the foreground into the light. You use light edges and lens flares as stylistic devices. With a little practice, you will create balanced and atmospheric photos, even in strong backlight.
FAQ
How do I avoid the sky turning completely white in backlight?Expose slightly darker than the light meter suggests and check the histogram. This way the detail in the sky is preserved.
Do I have to buy a reflector to master backlight?No. A reflector is a helpful addition, but not mandatory. Often the available ambient light from water, stones, or trees is enough, and you can help out with your viewing angle.
Which side of the reflector should I choose?The silver side provides a strong, crisp brightening. The white side is softer and is especially suitable for portraits or when the brightening should look subtle.
What is the best way to depict the sun in the image?Cover the sun completely or partially behind a subject. It should only shine through slightly or be recognizable as a light edge, so that the atmosphere in the foreground is the focus.
Are lens flares a flaw or a deliberate design element?Lens flares can be a deliberate stylistic device. Use them sparingly by changing the angle until the reflection appears at the desired spot.
Why is the sun easier to photograph at sunset than at noon?The low-hanging sun has to penetrate significantly more atmosphere. As a result, it loses energy and looks softer, which you can use for more balanced images.
Can I edit the images afterwards to improve them?Yes. Carefully lifting the shadows can make dark areas in the foreground visible. However, don't overdo it, so that the image looks natural.
