Balancing Backlight & Strobes

Balancing Backlight & Strobes

Harsh backlight doesn't have to be something you avoid. You just need to know how to control it.

In this course, I take you behind the scenes of exactly how I created this image using strong natural backlight and off-camera flash together.

We begin on location with BTS video so you can see the actual environment, where my subject was positioned, where my light was positioned, and the quality of natural light I was working with.

I walk you through what caught my attention about this particular spot and, more importantly, what I was looking for in the light before I ever introduced flash.

From there, I show you how I use the strobe to balance what the sun is already doing rather than completely overpowering it.

The backlight is doing a job.

The flash is doing a job.

And I'm making decisions about both so they work together in the same photograph.

You'll see how I evaluate the ambient light, where I place my subject, how I position my flash, and what I'm watching for when deciding how much flash I want to introduce. The goal isn't simply to illuminate my subject. I want the natural light to remain an important part of the final image while using flash to give me the control I want.

Then we move into the edit, where I take the image through my finishing process and show how I polish what was already created in-camera.

Inside the course you'll see:

• BTS video of the actual setup
• The environment and harsh backlight I was working with
• What made me choose this particular location
• How I look for useful pockets of light
• Subject placement within the existing light
• My off-camera flash placement
• How I balance the strobe against strong natural backlight
• What I'm watching for when determining that balance
• How I use the existing light to create additional glow and separation
• My editing process from capture to finished image

This image was photographed in Louisville, Kentucky, far away from the Chicago locations people normally associate with my work. That's important because the technique isn't dependent on one particular location.

It's about recognizing what the light is giving you, understanding what it's missing, and knowing how to use flash to bring the two together.

Runtime - 18 min

Available inside the VP Box