Use a Grid to Take Photos Against a Bright Background
Here’s a trick for more advanced photographers to shoot against bright backgrounds without losing exposure.In this video , portrait photographer Joel Grimes shows how he uses fine mesh to darken the background when setting the exposure for the subject’s face.
Mesh is just a thin translucent fabric that photographers and filmmakers use to alter light. The problem with shooting in bright surroundings is that if you expose the light to the face of your subject, the background is likely to be too bright and overexposed. For some photographs this is fine, but Grimes wanted to eat his cake too (no strobe, more traditional method). This is where the mesh comes in. He simply lays a thin cloth behind his subject to reduce background light, and chooses a shallow depth of field so you can’t see the mesh in the photo.
Joel Grimes on How to Change VividBackgrounds with Canvas Grid via PetaPixel