Backlight, frontlight, and sidelight each have their strengths and weaknesses depending upon the subject matter onto which each is falling. Backlight can be very dramatic but it reveals few, if any, details on the subject. Frontlight makes it easy to obtain a proper exposure and it shows lots of details, but the light is flat and reveals no texture. Sidelight is ideal for landscapes, but falls short for many other subjects. Knowing what direction of light works well for a given subject is paramount to becoming a better photographer.
For the purpose of this "How To," I want to restrict it to frontlight with regard to animals. Hands down, frontlight is the direction of choice when it comes to taking pictures of animals. With the light falling upon the critter, details in the face, body, legs, feet, and tail are depicted. Expressions in the eyes and ears are evident. Subtle nuances of an upturned lip or a twitching nose are clearly seen. As in people photography, it¹s these expressions that make an otherwise ordinary recording of the animal extraordinary.
PHOTO: Russ Burden
In the backlit version of the mountain goat, the thickness of its coat, the expression on its face, and the detail in the legs and feet are not visible. On the other hand, the frontlit version displays all detail including a highlight in the eye showing life in the animal. The next time you¹re walking through the park, zoo, or even your backyard with your pet dog, notice how the different directions of light play upon the animals you encounter. The closer you look, the more you¹ll see that front light best shows off the details in animals.
