How do you use backlighting to make your products stand out?

1 Choose the right product

Not all products are suitable for backlighting. Some products, such as glassware, jewelry, or liquids, can benefit from backlighting because it can enhance their transparency, sparkle, or color. Other products, such as clothing, books, or food, may not work well with backlighting because it can wash out their colors, create unwanted reflections, or cast unwanted shadows. You should experiment with different products and angles to see what works best for your style and vision.

2 Set up your equipment

To create a backlighting effect, you will need at least two light sources: one for the background and one for the front. The background light should be positioned behind or above your product, depending on the effect you want to achieve. You can use a softbox, a strobe, a flash, or even a window as your background light. The front light should be positioned in front of your product, at a 45-degree angle or lower, to fill in the shadows and balance the exposure. You can use a reflector, a diffuser, or another softbox as your front light.

3 Adjust your camera settings

The key to backlighting is to expose for the highlights, not the shadows. This means that you will need to use a smaller aperture, a faster shutter speed, and a lower ISO than usual. You can use a spot metering mode to measure the light on your product, or use the histogram to check the exposure. You should avoid overexposing the background or underexposing the foreground. You can also use exposure compensation or bracketing to fine-tune your exposure.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?