Do you know that a lighting design could be stunningly applied to photography? While playing with the ways of illuminating, the artist can receive completely unexpected results that will convey an extreme tensity and emotion. A mischievous play of light can create amazing shadows – those surreal images that add a meaningful facet to a photo. Besides, the strong use of shadows in color photos tends to be mostly used in silhouettes where the subject is made featureless apart from its outline against a bright background.

Silhouette effect can be achieved with any bright light source – some focus on artificial lights, others on the sun at certain times of the day. Often photographers prefer the time around sunset because the sun causes the sky to be brighter than everything else for greater contrast. What’s also interesting is that when the artist aligns the sun directly behind the subject that can cause a glow effect around its outlines. Backlighting, which lights foreground elements from the hind part, as well causes the edges of an object to glow adding an angelic effect and a pure dreamy feel. It also helps to provide separation, emphasize depth, and give a more three-dimensional appearance. Note that it’s necessary to set the exposure basing upon the brightest part of the picture – the background – and not the subject of the photo.

In the current post, we have put together some truly awesome photos that make strong use of lights and shadows. There is no exact principle to taking a great silhouette, shadow or backlit image, so keep contemplating and practicing.

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Photo by Riccardo Romano

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Photo by aurence Garçon

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Photo by an untrained eye

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Photo by Wide Eyed Wondering

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Photo by Stefano Corso

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Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

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Photo by Matt Andrews Photo

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Photo by Jesper Larsen

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Photo by Random Images from The Heartland

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Photo by Shazeen Samad

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Photo by muha

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Photo by ahmed (John)

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Photo by Mark German

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Photo by OldOnliner

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Photo by David Orias

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Photo by shutterBRI

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Photo by Roeselien Raimond

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Photo by chrismar

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Photo by vijay_raghavan

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Photo by Leon Baas

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Photo by Barbara Orienti

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Photo by Antonio Arcos

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Photo by chris10eyck

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Photo by Dragan Jovancevic

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Photo by pearceval

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Photo by paramjap

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