Silhouette photography is one of the more challenging styles of photo creation to capture. The silhouette was once a sought after art form. Mostly during the 18th and 19th centuries, there were artists who specialized in creating these relatively simple, but perfectly balanced paintings, early photographs and paper cut-outs and silhouettes in relief. I’ve always found that some of these silhouette images, photographs and artistry, stir a sense of ennui.
An effective silhouette photograph can provoke emotional response and beg questions of the human condition. Silhouette photography can also result in uncanny artistic photo compositions that seem to bely logic. These, in my opinion, are the most fascinating.
Seeking locations and circumstances where I’m likely to find back-lit subjects is key to achieving good results. Outdoor wilderness locations that are primarily west-facing (here on the British Columbia coast) is a good place to start. Scout your locations in advance and plan for your shoot, to be ready for the light show at sunset.
If you are shooting indoors, use windows to backlight your subjects where possible. You can also create excellent silhouette photographs using artificial lighting and playing around with your ISO and aperture settings on your camera.
Here are a few pointers to assist in achieving excellent silhouette photographs:
- Plan to shoot against the primary source of light.
- Scout locations in advance, to find captivating and unique subjects.
- Practice adjusting your camera settings manually, to allow greater control over your result.
- Try to capture a sense of movement or dynamic interaction in your silhouette photograph.
- Experiment with hiding the sun or light source behind your subject.
- Look for unusual landscape details and interesting clouds to enliven your result.
