Photography Technique - 10 Great Tips For Silhouette Photography

By Author: Adam Coupe
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Photography Technique - 10 Great Tips for Silhouette Photography

Sometimes the best pictures are stumbled upon, but you can increase your chances of getting a great silhouette image by knowing what a good shot contains. Don't forget that when the lighting is good for silhouettes, there are also brilliant shadow images on offer. Underexpose by a stop to really deepen those shadows and you could capture something amazing.

1. Shoot Indoors.
Some of the best silhouette shots you can take are shot inside using lighting from windows. Get down to your local church and set up in front of some colourful stained glass, or try a simple fine-art silhouette at home.

2. Night Time
Don't think it's just midday, sunrise or sunset when you can shoot silhouettes. Night time can throw up some surprising colours and backdrops. What about a shot around a bonfire or capturing a backlit billboard as people scurry by?

3. Include the Sun
Including the sun in silhouette shots works well and gives your images a certain X-factor. But pointing your lens directly towards the sun isn't a good ...
... idea for your eyes or your camera, so make sure that it's very low in the sky and less bright. If you can, try to include it as a compositional part of the image.

4. Fill the Frame
You don't always have to leave loads of sky space in your silhouettes. Foreground subjects that have plenty of fine detail and a strong outline can afford to take up the majority of the frame, which is great for wide-angle shots.

5. Strong Shapes
Go for really recognisable main subjects when shooting silhouettes as they give your images much more impact. Don't get too clever and remember that if someone has to ask what it is, then it's failed as a photograph.

6. Natural Frames
Think about taking shots within natural frames such as subways, archways, and tree canopies. People can make the shot; imagine a couple kissing in an archway or the kids quietly playing under the shade of leafy trees.

7. Shoot Shadows
Always be on the look out for shadows while thinking about silhouettes, because they go hand-in-hand. Keep your eyes peeled for simple, recognisable shadows that cast elongated outlines on floors or walls. Check out that lone tree in a field at sunrise or look for well-positioned people near interesting backdrops. Be sure to underexpose your metered reading by a stop or two to render by a stop or two to render those shadows true black and give them a life of their own.

8. Wait for the Light
The sun doesn't always have to be in the sky to take decent silhouette photos. If you shoot towards where the sun has just set, then the sky turns an atmospheric blue with a hint of pink at the bottom. It makes a great backdrop.

9. Keep it Simple
Silhouettes don't always have to be in-your- face, ultra-impact stuff. Subtle and natural shots evoke emotions that can't be beaten. A model shot looking thoughtfully out of a north-facing window can create a soft yet provocative image. If you have one, use a light meter to find an exposure somewhere between the light source (window) and the dark areas of the shot on the body or head of the model. If using the built in meter within your camera, meter on the window frame so that the model becomes dark and the edge of the face is emphasised.

10. Portraits
Make sure the person is in profile and not facing the camera. Props and poses help here, so maybe a crazy hat, musical instrument or flamboyant hairstyle is just what your model needs to really stand out from the crowd.
Adam Coupe is pro commercial photographer specialising in commercial photography, architectural photography and architectural interior photography for a wide range of organisations that need to project their products, people or brand in a vibrant way see for the full architectural photography and commercial photography portfolio : http://www.adamcoupe.com