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Not sure if you’re going to produce a silhouette when you find an
interesting subject, or wondering if the final shot will be a confusing
mess? Then conduct the squinty-eye test. This may sound bonkers,
but it works. All you do is screw your eyes up so they’re only partially
open. This increases contrast in the scene you’re looking at and will
give you an idea of how the silhouette will turn out.2 WILL IT OR WON’T IT?
Like many photographers, I discovered the art of creating
silhouettes completely by accident. Posing a group of friends
by the side of a lake at sunset, I failed to realise that the bright
background would influence the exposure set by my camera,
and that the contrast range in the scene was too great to record.
It therefore came as a surprise when the shots arrived back from
the processing lab (it was a long time ago!) and my friends had
recorded as solid black shapes against a perfectly exposed sky.The thing is I really liked the effect, even though it was technically a
mistake, and since that day I’ve shot hundreds of silhouette images.
Perhaps the most appealing thing about silhouettes is that
they’re such a doddle to create. All you have to do is position
a solid object between the camera and a bright light source or
background, then expose for the brightest parts of the scene.
The solid object, which is in shadow, is underexposed
and bingo – you have a perfect silhouette!Reducing the world to simple black shapes is a technique that guarantees
striking shots. All you need is a low, bright light source, a camera and
some imagination. Lee Frost offers his top silhouette tips.
All images
© Lee FrostTECHNIQUE HOW TO SHOOT SILHOUETTESTOP TIPSAll types of subject can be turned into striking silhouettes –
piers, people, boats, trees, buildings, statues and monuments,
electricity pylons, bridges, windmills, to name but a few. The
main thing to remember when choosing a subject is that once
it’s reduced to a two-dimensional shape it must still be easily
recognisable, otherwise the shot will lose its appeal. This is best
achieved by keeping your silhouettes simple, so avoid overlapping
shapes that will merge into a black mess, or subjects that rely
on detail for their appeal. Bold, graphic subjects work best, such
as those mentioned above, and you only need one or two main
elements in the shot to produce a striking image.1 CHOOSE YOUR SUBJECT
Taungthaman Lake, Mandalay, Myanmar
This silhouette image was captured during early morning. The brightness of the sky
and water meant the fishermen and their boat were naturally recorded in silhouette.
Canon EOS 5D MKII with 70-200mm zoom lens, 1/400sec at f/6.3, ISO 200