Prework Part 1 : Backlit images

Photographed by: Yelena Yemchuk
Model: Karen Elson
Magazine: Lula Magazine

In my opinion this is a properly exposed backlit image. I think the photographer took the meter reading in the middle of the plant photographed at the light. On the plant there is a gradient where it's really light/bright at the top and gradually gets darker at the bottom of the photograph. I believe the mood the photographer was going for based on how she used the light is a enticing and elegantly seductive one. I love how you can see a mere silhouette of her body through the fabric and the light that shines through her hair. If the photographer had metered on the sun the model would have been washed out/very dark, we wouldn't be able to see much detail if not any detail at all.

Tree #11, Myoung Ho Lee, 2005

I am absolutely in love with Myoung Ho Lee's tree series. Although you can still see some details in the leaves, I would say overall this is a backlit silhouette. I think the photographer metered on the light in the center because if he had metered directly on the light the tree would be pitch black and be less defined. If he had metered on the tree or on the grass we would be able to see those things in more detail and it wouldn't be as dark. I think the mood is meant to inflict awe and evoke one to have their own personal interpretation. The concept is simple. By framing the tree's with canvas,' and separating the tree from it's natural environment, it's almost like he's creating natural paintings. "The series includes diverse species of trees photographed [...] in a variety of seasons at different times of day. Mr. Lee allows the tree's natural surroundings to fill the frame around the canvas, transforming the backdrop into an integral part of the subject. Centered in the graphic compositions, the canvas defines the form of the tree and separates it from the environment. By creating a partial, temporary outdoor studio for each tree, Mr. Lee's 'portraits' of trees play with ideas of scale and perception while referencing traditional painting and the history of photography." - Yossi Milo Gallery