Backlit shot & Focusing problem

[dadaChoy]

Hi all,
I have been playing with my new D5000 recently. However, i still have some problem with backlit photography where the subject in front of the bright background. Usually, i got the background overexposed while the subject are properly exposed. Is there any trick which i can try? Do you think i should adjust the shutter speed by using manual setting. If i used aperture setting, the shutter will be fixed at 1/60. Will external flash be better?

If the subject is not at the centre of the view finder, should i move the focus point to aim at the subject before taking the shot or should i focus with the subject in the middle of the view finder (half-press) and then reposition the camera again. Will it make any difference if i use half-press or AF-L?

Thanks in advance.

 

[futsal123]

Expose for the background and use flash to balance exposure.

 

[dadaChoy]

Expose for the background and use flash to balance exposure.

Thanks for replying. Should i reduce the power of the flash or i just need to trial and error?

 

[9V-Orion Images]

Thanks for replying. Should i reduce the power of the flash or i just need to trial and error?

You might want to give High Dymanic Range (HDR) tone mapping through post-processing with Photomatix Pro a try as an alternative.

Not really the best examples though.

 

[dadaChoy]

Thanks for the HDR recommendation. Actually was doing outdoor shooting with my friends as subject!

 

[leowyien]

You might want to give High Dymanic Range (HDR) tone mapping through post-processing with Photomatix Pro a try as an alternative.

Not really the best examples though.

That was shot at vivo rite?