# Backlight > Light from behind the subject, used to brighten the background or outline the product. Also known as: back light, backlighting. Category: Lighting and optics. A backlight is a light placed behind the subject. In product photography it is used to brighten the background to pure white or to create a silhouette that separates the product from the background. ## How PhotoRobot uses it PhotoRobot uses a back-lit shot for [Freemask](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/freemask) background removal. Its studio lighting overview names excessive backlight intensity as one of the most common mistakes: it whitens the background but causes light-wrap, loss of gloss, colour shifts and loss of texture. ## Related terms - [Light-wrap](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/light-wrap): Background light spilling around the edges of a product, softening its contours. - [Freemask](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/freemask): PhotoRobot background removal from a front-lit and a back-lit silhouette shot of the same angle. - [White background](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/white-background): A background of pure white (RGB 255, 255, 255), standard for e-commerce product images. - [Diffusion](https://www.photorobot.com/glossary/diffusion): Scattering light through a translucent material to make it softer and more even. ## Where this term appears on photorobot.com Mentioned on 9 pages. Most relevant: - [Studio Lighting Overview for PhotoRobot Systems](https://www.photorobot.com/manuals/studio-lighting-overview): One of the most common mistakes in studio lighting is using excessive backlight intensity for product photography. - [Jewelry Photography - Behind the Scenes Production](https://www.photorobot.com/blog/jewelry-photography): For photographing jewelry, we also use an integrated light tent, top lights, and backlighting for optimal translucence. - [PhotoRobot CASE 850 Portable Studio User Guide](https://www.photorobot.com/manuals/case-850-user-guide): for the heavy backlight of a pure white background. - [PhotoRobot PINK User Guide & Instructions for Operation](https://www.photorobot.com/manuals/photorobot-medical-pink): …LAN Socket (6) Service Doors (7) Patients Telescopic Handlebars (8) Front Lights (9) Back Light (10) Lampshade (11) – parasite light protection Camera Slider Assembly (12) Digital Camera with 50mm… - [Product Photo Background Removal and Adjustment](https://www.photorobot.com/tutorials/remove-background-product-photos): This back-lit shot will then serve as a pixel-exact mask within post production. - [Mastering Product Photography: Apparel and Clothing](https://www.photorobot.com/blog/mastering-product-photography-apparel-and-clothing): What is more, incorrectly set backlighting can cause a photograph to lose edge-clarity (so-called “light wrap”). - [Quick, Easy, and Effective Product Photoshoots with PhotoRobot](https://www.photorobot.com/blog/product-photoshoots-photorobot): With this approach, we take two images from the same angle, one with only the backlight. - [What’s New in the November PhotoRobot Software Release](https://www.photorobot.com/blog/november-software-release): This back-lit shot serves as a pixel-exact mask within post production. - [Product Photoshoots with PhotoRobot](https://www.photorobot.com/videos/product-photoshoots-demo): We take two images from the same angle, one with just the backlight.