Several photos I’ve taken recently have me rethinking one of my old habits.
Rim lighting is when the ‘rim’ or outline of the subject is brightly lit while the rest of the subject is more poorly lit and shows significantly less detail, sometimes none at all. Rim lighting is achieved when the subject is back lit and it helps to separate the subject from the background, especially when the background and subject are similarly colored. Rim lighting tends to make an image more dramatic.
Since in nature photography rim lighting requires the subject to be back lit, it’s a technique I don’t deliberately use because I’ve always instinctively tried to avoid back light when photographing birds. Typically, when I encounter a back lit bird, I don’t even aim my lens its way unless I can maneuver myself into a position that ‘improves’ my lighting angle.
But a few photos I’ve taken recently have me rethinking my position.
1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 1600, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
This is one of them. I photographed this presumed female Short-eared Owl a couple of weeks ago while she was watching over one of her recent fledglings that was perched on a woodpile below and in front of her. She was strongly back lit by the early morning sun which highlighted her ‘fuzzy edges’ while keeping the rest of her body, and the perch, in shade. That’s rim lighting.
As the image came out of the camera there was very little detail in her plumage, even her bright eyes were hard to see, and that didn’t appeal to me at all. But something made me play with the image during processing to see what I’d end up with. All I did was slightly increase exposure in the shadows (I did it selectively on the bird only) and for me that made all the difference.
Now there was more detail in her plumage, her eyes were much easier to see, and the rim lighting effect was unchanged and still dramatic. The photo was transformed from one I’d typically delete to one that’s at least growing on me and making me rethink my tendency to avoid photographing back lit birds.
Where I’ll end up with this I don’t know, but I do know this. In the near future at least, when I see a back-lit bird I’m going to give it a chance. After all, studio photographers often go to great lengths, and expense in lighting equipment, to achieve rim lighting so why should I dismiss it out of hand?
Maybe I’ll decide that rim lighting doesn’t do much for me so I’ll go back to my old ways. Or maybe this old dog will learn a new trick.
Ron
Brilliant in so many ways. I’d buy this if it were in a gallery.
Nice. I like it. I imagine rim lighting success will be subject coloration dependent. In this case the yellow eye color helps accent the image.
This is a delightful (and from you) very different shot. As an occasional technicque I think it works very, very well.
And of course that is helped because I never, ever tire of owls.
EC, even if I learn to like it it will always be an occasional technique for me. I can’t imagine taking only or even mostly photos that are rim/back lit. I’d have to get a new hobby very quickly..
Not only is that picture a fine representation of a Short-eared Owl, but also an interesting, moody and artful one. Yes, art. Getting it right is always an iterative process and your subtle adjustments do not even enter the realm of photo trickery Ron. Both camera and computer are dumb tools unless in control of the user’s eyes and hands. The nuanced choices made as you fooled around with the original image are pleasing and perfect. I couldn’t stop looking at it. It’s a killer photo!
Very much appreciated, Susan. Your articulate comment will help me as I’m trying to form my own opinion(s) about this style of photography when applied to birds.
It is a nice image. Worth posting!
Thanks, April.
Beautiful! With a background in theatrical lighting design (way back when), I love those strong back and side lights you get with your dawn photos. And owls are such mysterious, dramatic creatures anyway – the light adds something extra special to the story. Thanks for playing around with the image – successfully, I’d say.
I’m glad you like it, Carolyn. And I like your reason why.
Mama Owl is lovely with her rim-lit features. Quality light on a quality raptor! 😎
Thanks, Chris.
I agree with everything you wrote about this post. That photo made me do a double-take! The series about the fledglings was another post that makes me really look forward to seeing your photos each day. You are a master photographer!
Thanks very much, Phoebe – deserved or not.
“Rim lighting” in bird photography seems like ” if all you have are lemons, make lemonade”.
Sometimes that’s probably the case, John. And on average I’m sure I’ll prefer ‘traditional’ lighting over rim lighting. But I still think it has the potential to stand on its own, even in bird photography. We’ll see…
Yup. It’s a toughie for sure. It can be done well and then that rim lighting looks arty and, well, ‘heavenly’ (sorry about that). Or it can be done badly and all you get is a mess. But sometimes it’s good to be brave enough to try things out and find out if there is more pain or pleasure in new. Whatever the final decision it will be a learning experience and that in itself can be satisfying.
Well said, Granny Pat.
It’s this kind of adventurous, perceptual thinking that moves your work out of the realm of “dedicated craftsman” and into the realm of “artist-“.Given the
technical possibilities inherent in the digital realm, one can become a partner with nature in “painting with light” and because you have years of closely
observing natural phenomena, you are capable of using digital manipulation
to achieve a natural ( as opposed to “tricky” ) final image– congrats !
Thank you, Kris. It’s the “tricky” stuff that people do that turns me off, especially when they don’t disclose what they’ve done. And they rarely disclose.
Back lighting I’m familiar with, as you demonstrated in the previous Short-eared Owl post; the term rim lighting is new to me. I guess I’d always thought of it as a halo, although that term has connotations that rim lighting avoids. A difficult exposure to achieve l’m sure, but made easier by you being out at hours us mere mortals rarely achieve. A delightful effect, especially when frontal details are retained as you’ve managed to do here.
Thanks, Lyle. Rim lighting is achieved with back light but only when conditions are right. You can have back lighting without rim lighting but generally not the opposite.
All techniques have their place IMO! Beautiful photo, Ron. 🙂
Thanks, Judy.
Very educational Ron. I almost never take anything back lit, but your owl photo is interesting. I don’t have Photoshop or any processing tools like that so with my computer provided processing if I lighten a photo it lightens everything.
Everett, I can understand why using an editing program that doesn’t provide many options would limit the possibilities for you.
Thanks for so much, Ron.
I don’t think rim lighting is an either or. Sometimes it works great, as in the owl you posted. As usual your inner artist will decide well!
“I don’t think rim lighting is an either or.”
I agree, Mary. That’s why I’m going to give it some time, with a variety of rim-lit photos. I suspect I’ll like some of them but only time will tell.
Nice photo. And who are you calling an old dog?! 🙂
Cathy, as a 75 year old dedicated carnivore, I’d say I qualify.