How To Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps - DPS

4/8/2015
HowtoPhotographSilhouettesin8EasyStepsdPS
How to Photograph
Silhouettes in 8 Easy
Steps
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A Post By: Darren Rowse

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Image by Thomas Hawk
I normally talk about the importance of using a flash when

taking shots into the sun to give sufficient light to add
features to your subject but there are also times when
making your subject featureless apart from their outline
http://digitalphotographyschool.com/howtophotographsilhouettes/
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against a bright background can be most effective or

when in other words silhouette is a worth exploring.
Silhouettes are a wonderful way to convey drama,

mystery, emotion and mood to the viewers of your photos
and often stand out in an album because of the
combination of their simplicity but also the story that they
convey. I love them because they dont give the viewer of
a clear picture of everything but leave part of the image
up to their imagination to wonder about.
The basic strategy youll
need to employ in taking
silhouette shots is to
place your subject (the
shape you want to be
blacked out) in front of
some source of light and
to force your camera to
set its exposure based upon the brightest part of your
picture (the background) and not the subject of your
image.
In doing this your subject will be under exposed (and very
dark, if not black).
There are a lot of very technical descriptions going around
on how to take great silhouette shots that you might want
to look up but let me attempt to run through some basic
steps that should get you the results youre after. In
essence what were trying to do is make your camera
think that its the bright parts of the picture you are most
interested in.
Heres how to do it:
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How to Photograph
Silhouettes
1. Choose a Strong Subject
Almost any object can be made into a silhouette, however
some are better than others. Choose something with a
Cameras &
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strong and recognizable shape
Equipment
that will be interesting enough

in its two dimensional form to
hold the interest of those
viewing your image.
Silhouettes cant draw on the
colors, textures and tones of
subjects to make them
appealing so the shape needs
to be distinct.
Flash
2. Turn off your
If you have your camera in automatic mode your camera

will probably want to use its flash which will ruin the
How to Make a
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silhouette. Basically you want as little light on the front of

your subject as possible so the flash has to go (basic
but Ive seen a few attempted silhouette shots with the
flash firing).
3. Get Your Light Right

When it comes to lighting your subject youll need to
throw out a lot of what youve learnt about normal
Post Production
photography and think a little backwards. Instead of

lighting the front of your subject, in silhouettes you need
to ensure that there is more light shining from the
How to Create
background than the foreground of your shot or to put

it another way you want to light the back of your subject
rather than the front. The perfect light for this is placing
your subject in front of a sunset or sunrise but really any
How to Make a
Your Own
Lightroom Presets
Triptych in
Lightroom
bright light will be able to do the trick.
4. Frame your image

Frame your shot so you are shooting with your subject in
front of a nice plain, but bright background. Usually the
best backgrounds will be a bright cloudless sky with the
sun setting. You want to position the brightest light source
behind your subject (either so that they hide it or so that
its in the background somewhere).
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5. Make silhouetted shapes

distinct and uncluttered
If there is more than one shape or object in the image
that youre attempting to silhouette, try to keep them
separated. ie if you are silhouetting a tree and a person
dont have the person stand in front of the tree or even
leaning on it as it will merge them into one shape and as a
result your viewers could be confused about what the
shape is.
Also when framing youll probably want to photograph
silhouetted people as profiles rather than looking straight
on. This means that more of their features (nose, mouth,
eyes) are outlined and they are more likely to be
recognized.
6. In Auto Mode
Most modern digital cameras have automatic metering
which are pretty good at sensing how to expose a
photograph so that everything is well lit. The problem with
this is that most cameras are so smart that they will light
up your subject instead of underexposing it to get a
silhouette so you need to trick it. Most cameras work out
the exposure levels in auto mode when you push your
shutter half way down (at the same time that they focus).
So point your camera at the brightest part of your picture
and then press the shutter halfway down (dont let go).
Then move your camera back to frame your shot with the
subject where you want it and then finish taking the shot.
With most digital cameras this will result in a silhouetted
subject. In effect what youre doing is tricking your camera
into thinking that the bright part of the image is the mid
tone of it so that anything darker than it will be exposed
as a nice dark shadow.
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Some digital cameras also have spot or centered

metering modes that you can switch on which helps with
the above technique as they will set the metering on the
central spot of your frame rather than multiple spots. This
means you can accurately tell your camera exactly which
bit of the bright background you want it to set the
exposure on.
7. Manual
Mode
If this technique doesnt
work and your camera
has controls to allow
manual exposure or
exposure compensation
you might like to try some of your own settings. The
beauty of digital is that you can experiment to your hearts
content until you get the result youre after.
A simple way to start using manual mode is to look at the
shutter speed and aperture that it suggests in automatic
mode and to start from there. If in auto mode your
subject is too light (ie you need to make it darker) stop
down the shutter speed a stop or two and see what
impact that has. Use the bracketing technique that I
described in my previous tip on sunrises and sunsets to
get a variety of shots at slightly different exposures.
8. Focusing
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In most cases youll want the subject which is silhouetted

to be the thing that is in focus most crisply. This can mean
that the process described in point 4 can be a little tricky
as pushing your shutter half way down to get the
metering right also means that youll focus on that spot in
the background. To get around this you can use two
strategies. Firstly if your camera has manual focusing you
might want to try that. Pre focus your shot before you
meter your shot.
The other strategy is to use Aperture to maximize your
depth of field (the amount of your image that is in focus).
Set a small aperture (ie a larger number) to increase the
depth of field this means youre more likely to have a
sharper foreground and background in your shots.
One last tip on how to photograph Silhouettes while
a total silhouette with a nice crisp and black subject can
be a powerful shot, also consider the partial silhouette
where some detail of your subject is left. Sometimes a
touch of light on them makes them slightly more three
dimensional and real. This is the beauty of bracketing
your shots as it will leave you with total and partial
silhouettes to choose form.
UPDATE: Check out these 12 Amazing Silhouette Example
Shots.
Read more from our category

Darren Rowse is the editor and
founder of Digital Photography
School and SnapnDeals. He lives in
Melbourne Australia and is also the
editor of the ProBlogger Blog Tips.
Follow him on Instagram, on Twitter at
@digitalPS or on Google+.
If you enjoyed this article, you

might also like...
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Comments
Community
Recommend 9
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SortbyBest
Jointhediscussion
RosaleeZammuto 10monthsago
Formesilhouettesareeasyandfuntoworkonatapond,
notthatI'manexpert.
31
Reply Share
SuzetteBarnett 6monthsago
7/38
4/8/2015
SuzetteBarnett 6monthsago
I'vehadluckwithsilhouettesbytrickingmycamera's
Automode,perstep6ofyourarticle.Workingon
improvingeveryday...Keepthetipscoming!Suzette|
TrySomethingFun.com
23
Reply Share
SrikumarDevulapelli 3monthsago
IwasluckytophotographthissilhouetteatReichstag
Dome,Berlin..
16
Reply Share
Robert ayearago
OnethingI'vefoundisthatifyoudon'thaveabigenough
lightsourcebehindyoursubject,it'sreallydifficulttoget
thepureblacksilhouette.Ifyou'retryingtogeneratea
silhouettewithaflash,Iwouldrecommendhavingyour
subjectwellawayfromawall(sothelightdoesn'tbleed
aroundthem),andpointingtheflashatthewall.
16
Reply Share
Vickie 6monthsago
LOVEsilhouettes...hereisoneofahawkinFloridathatI
willmakeacrossstitchchartfromandoneofmylittle
grandsonatourbarnafterridingthe'horsey'
8/38
4/8/2015
23
Reply Share
Becky 6monthsago
checkthisoutfromourvacationinColorado
13
Reply Share
Becky>Becky 6monthsago
whywon'tmyphotoshowup?
Reply Share
Guest 6monthsago
Silhouettesarealwaysmyfavourites..
13
Reply Share
www.enricodigiamberardino.com 8monthsago
Reallynicearticle!Iwanttosignalanotherblogthathas
repostyourarticletranslatedwithoutanykindofcredits
www.seust.it/blog/?p=846like4yearsafter...
6
Reply Share
joeyazzie 2monthsago
Thispicwasacoldhazywintersunset.
Reply Share
RodLogsdon 6monthsago
RE:#8.Usebackbuttonfocus.
9/38
4/8/2015
RE:#8.Usebackbuttonfocus.
3
Reply Share
Richard>RodLogsdon 6monthsago
*always*
Reply Share
bsbdhavfjk ayearago
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
2
Reply Share
RaviMukkavilli ayearago
Nicearticle.Thereisanotherwaytofocus.Youcan
changetheautofocustobackbuttongenerallytoAF
Lockbutton(SettingtheAFLtoAFONviamenu),
becauseofwhichnowthefocusingwillhappenwhenAF
Lbuttonispressed.Oncesubjectisinfocus,releasethe
button,canrecomposethepicture.Butthegoodpartis,
theexposureiscalculatedontherecomposedframe(as
perthemeteringmode).Checkthisarticle.
http://goo.gl/zrs0SY
3
Reply Share
Solaire4SunBro ayearago
g8b8m8Ir8it8.8/8
1
Reply Share
nignog>Solaire4SunBro 6monthsago
gr8b8m8Ir88/8
2l8Icorrectedyoum8
Killyourself.Please.
Reply Share
nignog>nignog 6monthsago
:^)
1
cat ayearago
Reply Share
10/38
4/8/2015
cat ayearago
Greatarticle!Willtrytheseatthebeachtomorrow!
HopefullyIcanmakethemworkforme!
1
Reply Share
Brestricklen 18hoursago
Ididmy1stsilhouettetheotherdaynlovedhowitturned
outwhatdoyallthinkofit?
Reply Share
saurabhkumar adayago
Birdsittingatedgeofawatertankwithsunatbackground
Reply Share
RachaelCordova 5daysago
hereisoneijustdidafewweeksago!
Reply Share
David2014 2monthsago
Athirdveryhandyoptionfor#8ifyourcameraiscapable
ofitis"backbuttonfocus."
Reply Share
lummu 4monthsago
Thankyouforthegreatarticle,I'mplanningforasilhoutte
shootandwishifyoucouldhelpme,Ihaveagardenthat
issurroundedby4walls:)andIwishtoshootapregnant
ladystandingbehindathinsheet,I'vetriedtolocatethe
shadowbutthewallsarenothelpingalthoughthereisa
perfectexposureinthegardenduringtheday.My
question:)shallIputartificiallightbehindthesubjector
doesithavetobenaturalsunlightbehindthesubject!
thankyou...
11/38
4/8/2015
thankyou...
Reply Share
IsaGamatisHenriette 4monthsago
Ilovesilhouettes.Tomeittellsastory.
Reply Share
Guest 6monthsago
Silhouettesarealwaysmyfavourites
Reply Share
Mike97 ayearago
Triedacoupleshotstonightusingitem6abovein
aperturepriority,workedgreat.willtryoutdoorsthis
weekend.
Some Older Comments
Rob Clayton
January 8, 2013 11:16 pm
Some great tips.....feel free to read my

blog entry on some particularly
challenging silhouette pictures!!
http://www.robclaytonphotography.co.uk/apps/blog/show/14954837scintillating-silhouettes
Jess Turver
December 10, 2012 05:13 am
Hi, I am currently studying Photography at

University, I have a Pinterest page and
would be grateful if you could all have a
look and share on Social Networking
12/38
4/8/2015
sites... Thanks it would be a great help so

people could see my work
https://pinterest.com/jturver/
Thank you !!
Also my personal Twitter is - @Jessturver
Riddhi
December 3, 2012 12:44 am
Thank you![eimg url='https://fbcdnsphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-akash3/598896_435601896502791_199776011_n.jpg'

title='598896_435601896502791_199776011_n.jpg']
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=435601896502791&set=a.319601548102827.76669.100001589545514&type=1&theate
the wicked noodle
February 8, 2012 12:18
am
I know you have a zillion readers and one

more likely doesn't have much of an
impact, but imagine my delight when I
arrived here to find that it's run by Mr.
Darren Rowse? I follow your problogger
site and knew you had one on
photography but never had the time to
track it down. Happy to find you here and
even more happy to subscribe.
Cheers.
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4/8/2015
Alan
February 3, 2012 04:56 pm
Hi Darren,
I really enjoying reading your tips
everyweek.
Right now I am trying to take some
pictures about hockey. Do you have any
suggestions?
thanks.
Alan
Sandi Owl
December 1, 2011 11:27 pm
Very useful tips here - thanks. I always

found it a challenge to photograph a
totally black silhouette before.
Ed Fitzgerald
October 2, 2011 11:34 am
Loved your post. I have a Nikon that

moves the point around the frame that
will help with focusing and evaluating
exposure without having to move the
camera around. I think the Canon also has
this feature. The control is on the
wheel/multifunction button on the back of
the camera.
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ajel
October 1, 2011 04:22 pm
thanks ...
Jason St. Petersburg Photographer

October 1, 2011 05:55 am
I really like the carnival ride swings

silhouette. It is not the type of silhouette
subject one traditionally thinks of,
especially since it's such a fast moving
one.
This is a great blue heron with a strong,
yellow sunset background taken in Florida:
http://jasoncollinphotography.com/blog/2011/5/10/snellisle-series-05-great-blue-heron-sunsetsilhouette.html
Salahuddin Ahmad
October 1, 2011 12:11
am
Here are some of my version

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neelelora/6198008528/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neelelora/4953809057/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neelelora/4941530628/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neelelora/4537077059/in/photostream/
Thanks for waching.
15/38
4/8/2015
ajel
September 30, 2011 10:28 pm
what are the things that you consider

when you talking a picture?
ozzie
As always, great article. Got this a few

weeks back. Got lucky and was able to
take advantage of a family taking up my
field of view.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60701150@N04/6144970437/
Vijay
Suggestions taken !!
Very good for am amateur with a Canon
1100D
Rishin
Thanks for the great article. I took the

below picture on my recent trip to Nice,
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France. Lovely sunset and great how the

image turned out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41059852@N02/5968994172/in/photostream
Maria Schnell
September 30, 2011 06:35
am
Years ago, I took a photo of an equestrian

monument silhouetted against a sunset. I
wanted the statue completely blacked out,
with the brilliant sunset behind it. In those
pre-digital days, I did not realize that I had
overexposed for the sky and the sunset
was washed out. Mr. Clueless, aka Dad,
asked "Why didn't you increase the DoF to
get more detail on the statue?" Maybe Dad
was right; he once commented that it was
too bad that Ansel Adams did not make
color photos. The rest of the family
snickered behind Dad's back, until I read
some of Adams' comments about how
some of his images would be better in
color and called Dad to apologize.
uwais
September 30, 2011 05:25 am
hi, when i shoot silhouettes i use the

exposure lock button, on my canon 400D
its button with the * next to it on the top
right. so you can point at a bright part of
the sky for example (the sun) press the
button so it meters the required exposure
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4/8/2015
for that bright source and saves it into its

memory, then i can recompose the shot
with my subject and use the autofocus to
focus, it wont affect the saved exposure
settings. there is a time limit to this
function so you cant take too long with
your composition. this helped me alot
Scottc
Great explanation of the techniques, I

have to admit to all of silhouttes so far
have been accidental.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lendog64/5417928725/
Sumit
http://500px.com/photo/2079165
ccting
SkyLight? I guess we can lock the exposure

by half pressing the compact camera,
maximum zoom to the sky near to the
sun, half press, then point the subject,
then press the button.. well I just guessing,
no harm to try ;D
18/38
4/8/2015
ccting
Great tips indeed. For silhoutte shooting,

as a noob, i will use point matrix for
exposure to point at the point very near to
the sun then lock the exposure, focus at
the subject then shoot. Please advice.
Thanks.
Tammy Manes Photography
September
1, 2011 03:57 am
I love your details on how to take this

shots! I have some great ideas. And will
post my results asap so you can see how
much you helped me figure this out. Ty
Terry
August 20, 2011 11:45 am
Fantastic tips, thanks for sharing. Your

point on shape certainly helped me
improve my knowledge. I have done many
silhouette shots before (my basic tips
below), but I have found thinking about
the shape as your suggest really makes a
big difference.
Great Photography Tips
Twitter:PhotoTipMan
19/38
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Dee
July 13, 2011 12:47 pm
Could you explain the often used term,

"take a meter reading" or, "meter the sky".
t-y
SkyLight
May 19, 2011 07:12 am
Does anyone here have a Canon

PowerShot SX210 IS ? If you do please let
me know how u can take those kinds of
pictures..... Thanks!!!
Jim
April 19, 2011 08:46 am
I've read a load of books and have had

pro' 1 to 1 lessons. This artical is writen so
lovely, it is simple to understand. So much
so that when I practised it for the first
time, even I was able to do it and get it
right. So I'd like to thank you. And want to
know if you have writen any books on
photography.
20/38
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preti_pilya
April 10, 2011 05:03 am
I so love taking photos in silhouettes, even

with my digicam before.. I so love this
article too. It helped me a lot! Thank you
so much. (happy reader)
Tim
April 7, 2011 08:18 am
Item #7 Manual Mode....second

paragraph. Should that not
read "stop down aperture" instead of
shutter speed ?
Jnr Lavigne
March 25, 2011 09:06 pm
Yeaaah,...Me too :) :) :) :) :)
doodles
March 25, 2011 03:19 am
I am very fond of silhouette phots as well

as photos of shadows
21/38
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Jnr Lavigne
March 24, 2011 08:26 pm
Wooow, Cool
http://www.flickr.com/photos/confusedsam/5539595608/
"I prefer the edited"
But maybe you need to remove the black
edges that, it makes our eyes are less
comfortable. just a suggestion Friend :)
Be the best :)
sumit
March 24, 2011 07:39 am
I honestly love silhouettes even though at

times they can be tricky, but a pleasure if
you get it right.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/confusedsam/5539595608/
Jnr Lavigne
March 19, 2011 04:02 pm
Great information, Like This. :)

I also once tried to shoot with Canon
cameras, but I think the result is not
maximized, you can see it in my
deviantART
http://jnrlavigne.deviantart.com/art/DepokBeach-Sunset-197640947
I do not know if this is included in
"silhouettes Photograph" or not ?
22/38
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Ybrael Abergas
February 24, 2011 05:27
am
This is a very great and amazing art form

in photography. I really enjoy doing it! ^_^
Would you mind to check my silhouette
photos and compare yours
http://ybraelabergasphotos.blogspot.com/
please leave some comments, it would
really help me improve. thanks! :)
Ally Laurente
November 10, 2010 07:43
am
This is funny "

So point your camera at the brightest part
of your picture and then press the
shutter halfway down (dont let go).
Then move your camera back to frame
your shot with the subject where you want
it and then finish taking the shot"
You can use AEL instead of this. Pressing
AEL will lock exposure for few seconds
then you can shift your camera to your
subject without holding the half press
shutter.
23/38
4/8/2015
Nubia
To Taryn,
Your browser page should have a printer
icon on it, just press it and it will either
print all authomatically or bring up your
printer selection page. Or go to File, Print,
on the Microsoft tool bar on the same
page, (if you have a PC), select the pages
you want printed and print.
Taryn Pyle
September 25, 2010 12:28 am
This is great information. Thank you so

much. Does anyone know if there is a way
to print this article? Thanks!
A Ram
August 12, 2010 08:47 pm
How nice, Really you are great.

Thanks
Mark
April 16, 2010 08:06 am
Great tip! This will make me improve my

craft in taking pictures in silhouette!
24/38
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enrolled agent exam
March 12, 2010
05:31 am
Thanks for sharing your amazing photos

and tips.
Darren Mc
February 28, 2010 11:00 pm
[eimg
link='http://www.flickr.com/photos/42720776@N02/4394148491/'
title='7/52 - Silhouette (DPS Weekend
Challenge)'
url='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/4394148491_1893a9807b.jpg']
I wanted to do one of those retro 80's feel
images and towards the end decided to
light up one of the flowers a bit. My lovely
wife helped with the flower arrangements.
Forgot to take a setup shot for this one, so
here is how it was done:
1 stop diffusion panel for the background
lit from behind by a a 580EXII with a
1/4CTB gel (triggered with a cactus v4).
The speedlite had the wide angle flipout
on and was very low and angled up giving the gradiation and the blueish
background tint.
The top tulip is lit by a YN460 (also
triggered by a cactus v4) with a massive
grid spot on it that just illuminated a very
small area which I initially had illuminating
the flower from the inside but it looked
TOO 80s, so I switched it to light from a
25/38
4/8/2015
different angle and feather onto the stem

as well. The grid is about 15cm long with
each cell having a roughly 5mm diameter,
so it is about a 5 degree spot - way tight (I
can light a single eye from 3m out).
Other kit details:
Canon 450D with battery grip
24-105 f4L @ 92mm
1/200th @ f4 @ 200iso
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42720776@N02/4394148491/in/set72157623148961197/
Raeni
February 21, 2010 12:23 am
This was awesome. My pictures usually

turn out to be verry bad.. but this helped a
lot ! xD
Sime
January 15, 2010 09:08 am
Dropped you an email.. :-)
sreemoy mitra
October 23, 2009 12:33 am
Nice tips.I must try it.I also eager to know

about candid photography and flash
photography.
26/38
4/8/2015
jr
wow thanks i think i know how to take a

silhouette
Ashley Adams : Postcard Printing

August 28, 2009 09:59 pm
Ive been looking for some good tips for

silhouette shot and then I found your
post. It answered all my queries. Thanks
for sharing. I just cant wait to try them
out. Silhouettes also make nice postcards.
:)
abc
August 7, 2009 02:52 am
Good post but will come to its full extend

only with some more sample pics....[as
dhanesh said]
dhanesh
August 7, 2009 02:49 am
27/38
4/8/2015
nice post.... but can be better and easier if

you add some more pictures as example...
I think this post needs more sample
pictures.....
thanks......
John Small
July 19, 2009 01:48 pm
great help, worked wonders for class

assignment, thanks.
Sarthak Singhal
July 15, 2009 09:58 pm
Thank you for the tips. My attempt @

http://www.sarthaksinghal.com/blog/burningsky
dokki-kidd
July 14, 2009 06:20 pm
thanks for this tutorial. really excellent!

likewise with the comments and tips by
the readers, except for that comment by
Mr Foo. I must say he is in the wrong site
to post such. i suggest he must look for an
ENGLISH TUTORIAL website to say all his
corrections.
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Pam
July 10, 2009 05:18 am
Great tips as usual.

On another note, Mr. Foo is entitled to his
opinion, which was politely expressed. He
doesn't deserve such a harsh reaction. If
you don't like his comments, either
express your displeasure civilly or keep
your comments to yourself.
Commuincation is important and there is
a big difference between a contraction
and a possessive.
Nubie
July 10, 2009 04:12 am
Great information. I love silhouettes,

usually get them at sunset or against a
bright sky. Thanks! As Shepy does, I use
the * in my Cannon a lot on difficult
exposure shots when the auto exposure is
not appropriate for the main subject i.e:
very bright sun or clouds. I have to try the
manual mode more in silhouettes.
Monica
July 10, 2009 03:07 am
Is there any way to do the silhouettes in

an editing software? I am using Photoshop
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and Photopaint? Please let me know if

there is a way to do it in there........
Von
May 13, 2009 11:56 am
thanks for the tips dude! It's really useful!

two thumbs up! =D
Ronnie
April 6, 2009 03:33 am
First class !! have been hunting around for

ages for tips on shooting silhouettes. The
tips were spot on and now all i have to do
is go out and try them.
many thanks !!
Bridget Casas
March 27, 2009 03:01 pm
Please explain: I do not understand "Pre

focus your shot before you meter your
shot." This is under step 8 above and I do
not understand it. Could you please clarify
?
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Prosenjit Das
March 23, 2009 03:51 am
Great ideas. Till date I am using manual

Pentax cameras. Hope I shall be able to
improve my next shots. Thanks.
Corrie
January 28, 2009 11:59 pm
wow. thanks for the great tips:)
emma
January 13, 2009 07:34 pm
Hi, the images are not showing....
Mike
October 19, 2008 05:26 am
Mr. Foo,
Cripes, it's a photog website, and if that
was really the only comment you had to
make, keep it to yourself. If you don't have
anything constructive to add, then I agree
with Rob: Shut up. Don't make me f-stop
your aperature.
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Kristian
October 15, 2008 01:57 pm
Ok this seems very helpful but, I am

wanting to take a silhouette with about 10
people in a alley. I know this sounds very
crazy but, I really want this to turn out
well. there is no light down this alley. So I
have to find a way to light it and still get a
good silhouette. Any comments or
suggestions would be very helpful to me. I
have a film camera it is a SRL cannon. I am
new to photography although I have taken
basic photography. I have the book
(photography the eighth edition) If anyone
can tell me maybe chapters or anything
that would be helpful.
Thank you
Mr. Obvious
July 19, 2008 11:13 am
Mr. Rob,
You're not very nice. It's very important to
communicate well , and you need to learn
how to punctuate, yourself. Had I not used
that comma you might have wondered
how to punctuate yourself. See, grammar
is important.
Thanks, Shepy, for the great Canon tip. I've
always wondered what the asterisk was
doing there on my G7.
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Debbie
July 19, 2008 08:01 am
Will try the thing with the camera in automode...thanks for the help.
BK
July 18, 2008 11:31 pm
Thanks - I'm taking my granddaughter star

gazing next week from a hill top in our
pasture. We'll get there early enough for
sunset and will try some silhouette shots.
Thanks again.
rahmad
July 18, 2008 01:24 pm
I'll try it, thanks
Ali
February 16, 2008 01:44 am
Brilliant tips! Especially the bit about

tricking the camera in auto mode!
Thank you!
Oh and totally agree with guy above me!
x
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rob
February 15, 2008 12:55 pm
shut up mr foo
no one cares how to write its or it's or its'
or tits
the article is on taking photos
not a grammar lesson
Megan
November 26, 2007 03:20 am
This has really helped me. thanks a lot!
Alessandro
May 28, 2007 07:24 pm
Ohhh...Thanks a lot!!!!!!!
I've make very good
photo...THANKSSSS!!!!!
nop
May 28, 2007 03:53 pm
My Fuji compact camera's 'sunset mode'

takes photo similar to Silhouette too. You
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might want to try it on your camera.
Shepy
May 26, 2007 03:04 pm
If you have a Canon camera then the *

button can be handy for taking
silhouettes. You can half depress the
shoot button to focus then move the
center of the frame to a light section /
background of the image and press the *
button (Just behind the mode wheel on my
400D) and this will set the light metering
for the whole image against what you
currently have centered in the frame.
Move back to regain your composition to
take shot and it should turn out great!
Motorcycle Guy
May 26, 2007 11:34 am
Its really amazing what you can do with

silhouettes. :-)
Mr. Foo
May 26, 2007 01:13 am
Please learn the difference between "it's"

and "its".
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Mark
May 25, 2007 05:12 am
Great Tips!! I go on vacation in a couple of

weeks and I can't wait to try them out.
Low Leh Hock
May 24, 2007 11:53 pm
Thanks for sharing.
Luis
May 24, 2007 10:23 pm
wow, I can see myself trying this today.

Great tips, thanks.
Simon
May 24, 2007 11:51 am
Some great advice here, nice article. For

those interested I've written a beginners
guide to photography at
http://GoingManual.com. Hope it proves
useful too!
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Patrick Alessi
May 24, 2007 10:27 am
Here is my best silhouette shot. This is an

excellent article. I think that people too
often focus on detail in the subject and
don't think at all about shape and form.
Paul
May 24, 2007 07:17 am
Another excellent article backed up once

more with superb images.
- Paul @ www.photographyvoter.com
Jordan Meeter
May 24, 2007 05:37 am
What he said. ^_^
Bo
May 24, 2007 03:10 am
Great tips! Thanks for this. I can't wait to

try it!
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How To Photograph Silhouettes in 8 Easy Steps - DPS

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A Post By: Darren Rowse

Image by Thomas Hawk

I normally talk about the importance of using a flash when

against a bright background can be most effective or

Silhouettes are a wonderful way to convey drama,

Photography Tips &

strong and recognizable shape

that will be interesting enough

2. Turn off your

If you have your camera in automatic mode your camera

silhouette. Basically you want as little light on the front of

3. Get Your Light Right

photography and think a little backwards. Instead of

background than the foreground of your shot or to put

bright light will be able to do the trick.

4. Frame your image

5. Make silhouetted shapes

Some digital cameras also have spot or centered

In most cases youll want the subject which is silhouetted

Read more from our category

If you enjoyed this article, you

Some Older Comments

January 8, 2013 11:16 pm

Some great tips.....feel free to read my

December 10, 2012 05:13 am

Hi, I am currently studying Photography at

sites... Thanks it would be a great help so

December 3, 2012 12:44 am

Thank you![eimg url='https://fbcdnsphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-akash3/598896_435601896502791_199776011_n.jpg'

the wicked noodle

February 8, 2012 12:18

I know you have a zillion readers and one

February 3, 2012 04:56 pm

December 1, 2011 11:27 pm

Very useful tips here - thanks. I always

October 2, 2011 11:34 am

Loved your post. I have a Nikon that

October 1, 2011 04:22 pm

Jason St. Petersburg Photographer

I really like the carnival ride swings

October 1, 2011 12:11

Here are some of my version

September 30, 2011 10:28 pm

what are the things that you consider

September 30, 2011 09:55 pm

As always, great article. Got this a few

September 30, 2011 05:12 pm

September 30, 2011 01:23 pm

Thanks for the great article. I took the

France. Lovely sunset and great how the

September 30, 2011 06:35

Years ago, I took a photo of an equestrian

September 30, 2011 05:25 am

hi, when i shoot silhouettes i use the

for that bright source and saves it into its

September 29, 2011 08:23 pm

Great explanation of the techniques, I

September 29, 2011 07:34 pm

September 29, 2011 06:58 pm

SkyLight? I guess we can lock the exposure

September 29, 2011 05:59 pm