I am going to use the onset of winter to talk about a few things for my journal entry on portraits.
I think that less is more. Simple is better. I prefer natural light because there is not much fussing required. By using sunlight, there are not any lights to lug around, not any strange shadows to fix, and not any backdrops to iron. You don't have to worry about things like carpet dating or degrading your image or bringing in props to make things like classy or creative. Every backdrop outdoors is unique and all you have to do is wait for the light and then move around and find the sweetest spots. Even a blade of grass can glisten like diamonds against the blue shadows in snow at the right time of day.
In my opinion winter looks great backlit. Like a drop of water, snowflakes catch the eye best when illuminated from behind. They look more translucent and bright this way and therefore are able to stand out from their background. I like people backlit also, in any season. I realize this is not preferred by all, but the feeling of warmth that is created when there is yellow, orange, or red sunlight streaming into the background is appealing to me. I tried to find portrait inspiration in the local galleries this past month, but it was just not there, perhaps because I have already made up my mind. There is a local contemporary photographer Chelsea Mach who is able to convey this feeling of warmth ... through bokah and through silhouette.
There are two problems though that I see with backlighting. Obviously, a photographer cannot capture as much detail even at large aperture of the subject because it is/they are in the shadow. You get bright spots. This can be helped with the use of a reflector but then of course you lose some of the effect. Also, sometimes, you get solar flare on your lens (red circle in top right above) if you're not using a hood or shade. But, if it is art, sometimes a strong feeling is more important than the quantity of pixels with detail or the absence of scattered light. I think most families want warm photos of themselves on their walls. If backlight can make these three photos at 0 degrees F look warm and appealing, I think it can enhance any human portrait just the same.
