Real‑world examples of lighting in photography composition | 3 practical examples that actually teach you something

3 practical examples of lighting in photography composition you can copy today

Let’s skip the theory lecture and go straight into real examples of lighting in photography composition. We’ll start with three anchor scenarios you can actually recreate: a backlit portrait at golden hour, a window-lit indoor scene, and a night street photo with hard artificial light.

Along the way, I’ll point out how each example uses light to create visual hierarchy—basically, how you guide the viewer’s eye through the frame.

Example 1: Backlit golden hour portrait that glows instead of blows out

Picture this: it’s late afternoon, the sun is low, and you place your subject with their back to the sun. This is one of the best examples of lighting in photography composition for beginners, because the effect is dramatic but the setup is simple.

Here’s how it plays out in practice.

You stand facing the sun, with your subject in between you and the light source. The sun creates a bright rim of light around their hair and shoulders. Behind them, the sky is still bright, but you expose for the subject’s face, not the background. You might use your hand or a building edge to block the direct sun from hitting your lens to avoid ugly flare.

What happens composition‑wise:

• The bright rim light around the subject becomes a natural outline, separating them from the background.
• The face stays slightly darker than the background, but still readable, so your viewer’s eye snaps to the contrast between the glowing edges and the softer skin tones.
• The background, slightly overexposed and hazy, turns into a soft wash of color instead of a distraction.

This backlit portrait is a classic example of lighting in photography composition where the brightest area (the rim light) frames your true subject. You’re using light itself as a compositional tool, like a highlighter pen, to draw attention.

Try variations:

• Use a white wall, sidewalk, or reflector in front of the subject to bounce light back into their face.
• Shoot slightly from the side so the sun is just off to the edge of the frame, creating more dramatic flare and diagonal light lines.
• Change white balance toward a warmer tone to emphasize the golden feeling.

This is one of those real examples of lighting in photography composition that never goes out of style. Scroll through Instagram or TikTok in 2024–2025 and you’ll see this look everywhere in lifestyle, engagement, and travel photos.

Example 2: Window light for indoor storytelling (coffee, laptops, and quiet moods)

Now let’s move indoors. You’ve probably seen this example of lighting in photography composition in countless editorial and food photos: a person sitting by a window, soft light from one side, background fading into shadow.

Imagine someone working on a laptop at a café table next to a big window. The window is on the left, the room extends to the right.

You position yourself so:

• The window is to the side of your subject, not behind them.
• The subject’s face is turned slightly toward the window.
• The far side of their face gently falls into shadow.

Composition and visual hierarchy:

• The brightest area is the subject’s face and hands, where the window light hits.
• The laptop screen and coffee cup pick up secondary highlights, guiding the eye in a subtle triangle: face → hands → cup.
• The background falls into deeper shadow, simplifying the scene and removing distractions.

This is one of the best examples of lighting in photography composition for learning how to control mood. By simply moving the subject closer or farther from the window, you control contrast:

• Closer to the window: softer, brighter, gentle falloff.
• Farther away: more dramatic, with deeper shadows.

You see this approach everywhere in modern content creation—YouTube talking heads, podcast covers, even Zoom call setups. Creators increasingly use a single large light source (often a softbox mimicking a window) off to one side to create natural‑looking dimension. If you’re curious about how our eyes and brains respond to contrast and brightness, organizations like the National Eye Institute share accessible research on visual perception and contrast sensitivity.

Bonus variations using the same window:

• Food photography: place a plate at a 45‑degree angle to the window, shoot from above, and let the light sculpt texture in the food.
• Product shots: put a dark card opposite the window to deepen shadows and add shape to bottles, gadgets, or cosmetics.

All of these are real examples of lighting in photography composition that rely on one simple move: use a large, directional light source from the side and let the shadows do half the storytelling.

Example 3: Night street scene with a single harsh light

For the third of our 3 practical examples, step outside at night.

Picture a person standing under a single streetlamp or neon sign. The surrounding area is mostly dark. This type of scene is a powerful example of how lighting in photography composition can create drama with almost nothing in the frame.

Here’s how you might set it up:

• Put your subject directly under the streetlamp so their face and shoulders are lit from above.
• Expose for the lit areas, letting the background go nearly black.
• Position yourself so the lamp and subject form a strong vertical line in the frame.

Visual hierarchy in this example:

• The subject’s lit face becomes the undeniable focal point because it’s the only bright area.
• Hard shadows under the chin and nose add intensity and mystery.
• Any illuminated puddles, signs, or car reflections become secondary points of interest that lead the eye back to the subject.

This is one of the best examples of lighting in photography composition for understanding how negative space and darkness work. You’re composing not just with what you show, but with what you hide.

Modern trends: night street photography has exploded on platforms like Instagram and VSCO, especially with improvements in smartphone night modes. Strong single‑source lighting—neon storefronts, headlights, train station lights—creates a cinematic look that feels straight out of a streaming‑era drama series.

More real‑world examples of lighting in photography composition

Those 3 practical examples are your starting kit, but let’s expand with more everyday situations. These additional scenes are all examples of lighting in photography composition you can test without special gear.

Example 4: Overcast day as a giant softbox

Cloudy days are underrated. Think of the sky as one giant diffuser. Shadows are soft, contrast is low, and colors are gentle.

Say you’re photographing a friend in a park on an overcast afternoon:

• There are no harsh shadows on their face.
• You can place them almost anywhere without worrying about sun angles.
• Backgrounds stay more balanced in brightness.

This is a great example of lighting in photography composition for group photos or quick portraits because the light is forgiving. You can focus on posing and framing without fighting hotspots or raccoon‑eye shadows.

To create hierarchy on an overcast day, lean on color and depth:

• Dress your subject in a brighter color than the background.
• Use leading lines (paths, fences, tree rows) to guide the eye.

The even lighting keeps everything readable, while your compositional choices decide what stands out.

Example 5: Silhouette at sunset

Turn your subject into a dark shape against a bright sky. This is a classic example of lighting in photography composition where you intentionally sacrifice detail to gain a bold graphic shape.

Here’s how:

• Place the subject between you and the setting sun.
• Meter for the sky, not the person.
• Make sure the subject’s outline is clear (no overlapping limbs or objects).

The result:

• The sky becomes a gradient of color—orange, pink, blue.
• The subject is a clean black shape, instantly readable.

This works beautifully for people, trees, bicycles, city skylines, even pets. It’s also a good reminder that sometimes the absence of light on the subject is the point.

Example 6: Mixed light indoors (warm lamp + cool window)

Modern life is full of mixed lighting: a warm lamp (around 2700–3000K) and cooler daylight from a window (around 5000–6500K). Instead of fighting it, you can use it.

Imagine a person reading near a lamp in a living room during late afternoon:

• The lamp casts a warm pool of light on their face and hands.
• The remaining daylight from the window adds a cooler fill to the rest of the room.

Composition:

• The warmest area (their face and the book) becomes the emotional center.
• The cooler, dimmer background recedes, adding depth.

This is a subtle example of lighting in photography composition that uses color contrast as well as brightness contrast. Our brains are very sensitive to color temperature differences, something that’s also studied in fields like vision science and color perception (see the National Institutes of Health’s open research for deeper reading).

Example 7: Side‑lit texture for products and still life

You don’t need a studio to create product‑style photos. A desk near a window or a single desk lamp can do the job.

Say you’re photographing a watch, a pair of headphones, or a coffee mug on a wooden table:

• Place the light source to the side of the object.
• Let the light rake across the surface at a low angle.

What you get:

• Shadows emphasize texture in the wood, fabric, or metal.
• Highlights define edges and curves.

This example of lighting in photography composition is all about shape and material. Side light makes objects feel three‑dimensional and tangible, which is why you see it everywhere in product catalogs and e‑commerce shots.

Example 8: Backlit steam, rain, and atmosphere

One more dramatic example: aim your light through something—steam, mist, rain, or dust.

Think of:

• A barista pouring coffee with steam rising in front of a bright window.
• Car headlights cutting through rain at night.
• Stage lights hitting haze at a concert.

In each case:

• The backlight makes tiny particles visible.
• The atmosphere itself becomes a subject, adding depth and mood.

This is a favorite in 2024–2025 concert photography and live event coverage, where LED stage lighting and haze machines create layers of glowing air. It’s a striking example of lighting in photography composition where you’re not just lighting objects—you’re lighting the space between them.

How these examples of lighting in photography composition shape visual hierarchy

Across all these real examples, the pattern is the same: light decides what matters. Composition is not just where you place things; it’s how bright, dark, warm, cool, sharp, or soft each part of the frame is.

Some key takeaways from our 3 practical examples and the extra scenarios:

• Backlit portraits and silhouettes use bright backgrounds and dark subjects to create strong outlines.
• Window light and side light use directional light to sculpt faces and objects, guiding attention to the lit side.
• Night scenes and single‑source lighting use contrast and negative space to isolate the subject.
• Mixed lighting uses color temperature differences to separate subject from environment.
• Overcast light lets you lean more on color and geometry to create a clear subject.

If you want to go deeper into how the human visual system prioritizes contrast and brightness, institutions like Harvard’s Vision Sciences Lab share research that lines up surprisingly well with what photographers discover intuitively.

Quick practice plan using these 3 practical examples

To actually internalize these examples of lighting in photography composition, treat them like exercises rather than just ideas you read once.

Over a weekend, you could:

• Shoot a backlit golden hour portrait of a friend or even a plant, focusing on rim light and background haze.
• Create a window‑lit indoor scene, either a portrait or a coffee‑on‑table setup, and move the subject closer and farther from the window to see how contrast changes.
• Go out for a night street session, using a single streetlamp or shop sign as your only light, and let the surroundings fall into darkness.

Then, on another day, add:

• An overcast walk where you focus on color and leading lines.
• A silhouette session at sunset.
• A mixed‑light indoor scene with a lamp and a window.

Compare your shots and ask yourself:

• Where does my eye go first?
• What’s the brightest area? The darkest?
• Does the lighting match the mood I wanted?

That’s how these examples of lighting in photography composition stop being theory and start becoming muscle memory.

FAQ: examples of lighting in photography composition

Q: What are some simple examples of lighting in photography composition I can try with just a phone?
A: Start with three: a backlit portrait at sunset (subject between you and the sun), a window‑lit portrait indoors (subject next to a window, background darker), and a night shot under a single streetlamp. These 3 practical examples teach you how backlight, side light, and single‑source light change mood and focus, and they work perfectly with smartphone cameras.

Q: Can you give an example of how bad lighting ruins composition?
A: Imagine a midday portrait with the sun straight overhead. The face has harsh shadows in the eye sockets, the background is blown out, and there’s no clear focal point. Even if your framing is good, the viewer’s eye bounces around because the brightest areas might be a random patch of sidewalk or sky instead of the subject. Fixing the lighting—by moving into open shade or turning the subject so the sun is behind them—instantly improves the composition.

Q: Are overcast days good or bad for portraits?
A: They’re great. Overcast light is soft and forgiving, which makes it one of the best examples of lighting in photography composition for beginners. You don’t get dramatic shadows, but you do get even skin tones and fewer exposure headaches. You can then use background, color, and posing to create hierarchy.

Q: How do I practice recognizing good light in daily life?
A: Pay attention to when you naturally think, “Wow, that looks nice”: light on someone’s face near a window, sunlight hitting a wall at an angle, steam catching backlight in a kitchen. Treat these as living examples of lighting in photography composition. Even if you don’t have a camera in hand, notice the direction, softness, and color of the light.

Q: Do I need expensive lights to use these examples?
A: No. Every example of lighting in photography composition in this article can be done with natural light or household lamps. As you grow, artificial lights and modifiers just give you more control over the same principles you’re already practicing.