In the previous Note, I showed how to use backlighting to create sun bursts. Shooting toward the sun can also be used creatively in other way, but it’s tricky due to the extremes of brightness involved. The shadowed subject is often underexposed at the same time the sunny background is overexposed. One way to “fix” this is to merge two separate photos, one exposed for the subject and the other exposed for the background, but the results can look unrealistic. An easier method is to expose for the background and let the subject go dark, creating a silhouette of the subject. To do this, use the camera’s spot-metering mode on the background or shoot a bunch of photos with different settings and hope one will capture the balance of brightness you want. 

Sandhill Crane Silhouette No. 1

Raven Over Bald Mt.

Sundance