Understanding how to work with backlighting in order to create dark silhouttes of the shapes and subjects in your image is also important.
Understanding how to work with backlighting in order to create dark silhouttes of the shapes and subjects in your image is also important.  Stand facing the light, expose for the highlights and let the elements in shade underexpose, and use these in your composition.  If you are facing direct sun, you can block it behind an element in your scene to minimise blowing out the bright tones (highlights) completely.