Backlight is the fastest route from snapshot to photograph, and it is one decision: expose for the face (+1 to +2 EV) and you get a glowing portrait; expose for the sky (-1 to -2 EV) and you get a silhouette. Both are correct. Choose deliberately.
portrait +1 to +2 EV silhouette -1 to -2 EV DR400 hood on
Backlit portraits
| Control | Setting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun position | Behind the subject, just outside the frame | Rim light on hair, soft light on the face, separation without aperture |
| Compensation | +1 to +2 EV | The meter averages in the bright background and makes a silhouette |
| Dynamic range | 200% to 400% (ISO 640+ for DR400) | Protects the bright rim from clipping |
| Metering | MULTI, or SPOT on the face | Spot is the reliable answer in extreme backlight |
| Flare control | 52 mm hood, plus a hand shading the front element | This lens flares readily; that is the price of backlight |
| Focus | AF-S, eye detection — tap the face if it hesitates | Low contrast against a bright background makes AF hunt |
A little flare is often beautiful; a lot washes out contrast entirely. The difference is usually two centimetres of lens shading, so check the screen and move your hand until the haze goes.
Silhouettes
- Choose a recognisable outline. A silhouette has no detail, so shape is everything — a profile, a hat, a bicycle, a tree.
- Separate the shapes. Two overlapping silhouettes become one blob. Wait until there is sky between them.
- Expose for the brightest part of the sky, -1 to -2 EV, and let the subject go fully black.
- DR100. This is the one time you do not want highlight protection lifting your shadows.
Black and white on this camera
ACROS is one of the reasons people buy Fujifilm cameras. It is not a desaturated colour image: it has its own tonal response and a grain structure that scales with ISO, so high-ISO black and white looks intentional rather than compromised. At the ACROS position the coloured filter is chosen in IMAGE QUALITY SETTING > FILM SIMULATION DIAL SETTING, not on the dial.
| Filter | Effect | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| None | Neutral conversion | General use, street, interiors |
| Yellow (Ye) | Slightly darker sky, gentle skin | The safe default outdoors |
| Red (R) | Dramatically dark sky, pale skin, strong contrast | Clouds, architecture, drama |
| Green (G) | Lightens foliage, darkens skin slightly | Landscapes with a lot of green, some portraits |
How to see in black and white
Put ACROS on the dial and leave it there for a day. Because the screen previews in monochrome, you stop looking for colour and start looking for light, shape and contrast — which is the actual skill. Shoot FINE+RAW, so if a frame turns out to want colour after all, the RAW still has it.
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Flat grey monochrome | Flat light, and no strong tonal range in the scene | Find directional light; a red filter for skies; look for real blacks and whites |
| Face black against a window | Meter averaged the bright background | +1.5 EV, or SPOT metering on the face |
| Whole frame hazy | Flare from a light source just outside the frame | Hood on, hand shading the lens, or shift a step sideways |
| Silhouette reads as a mistake | Shape not recognisable, or shapes overlapping | Move so the outline is clean against sky |
Assignment: one scene, three intentions
At golden hour, put someone with their back to the sun. Make three photographs from the same spot: a bright portrait at +1.5 EV, a silhouette at -2 EV, and a black-and-white version in ACROS with a red filter. Nothing moved and the light never changed — but you made three different photographs, on purpose. That is the whole skill this course is trying to give you.