In
lighting design,
backlighting is the process of
illuminating the subject from the back. In other words, the
lighting instrument and the
viewer face each other, with the subject in between. This creates a effect on the edges of the subject, while other areas are darker. The backlight can be a natural or artificial source of light. When artificial, the back light is usually placed directly behind the subject in a
4-point lighting setup. A back light, which lights foreground elements from the rear, is not to be confused with a
background light, which lights background elements (such as scenery).