How to Photograph a Silhouette

A silhouette is traditionally the image of a person, animal, object, or scene represented as a solid shape of a single color, usually black, with its edges matching the subject’s outline. Capturing a silhouette in your photos adds a sense of mystery because the viewers are free to fill in the blanks with their own stories. In this tutorial, I’ll show you a few simple tips and tricks that work great for silhouette photography. This way, you can ensure that your silhouette photos are always stunning.

Shoot against the source of light

The first step in making a silhouette is to position your subject, or the shape you want to black out, in front of a light source. A sunset or sunrise is an excellent place to begin. Put your subject in front of it and shoot towards the sun during the golden hour, when the sun is really low on the horizon.

Find interesting and unique subjects

Although you can make a silhouette out of anything, finding an interesting subject is essential for capturing a great silhouette photo. Pay close attention to the outline of your subject to accomplish this. It must be something easily identified. People make excellent silhouette subjects. However, you must pay attention to the position of the body and face, as they can make a significant difference even if they are not visible. Additionally, try to make distinct shapes. Do not, for example, place a person in front of a tree.

Expose for the background

To create a silhouette, you must first expose for the background. The dynamic range of our cameras is limited. If you expose correctly for the light source in a scene with too much light, the shadows will turn black. You can accomplish this by using manual mode. Spot metering can also be used on the light source, the brightest part of your frame. However, you must be careful not to get your subject out of focus. This could happen if your subject is much closer to you, like when you are photographing a sunset, for example. I usually focus on my subject and then I use the Exposure Compensation dial to underexpose the photo till I get a nice silhouette.

Final Words

Silhouettes are dramatic photographs that rely on shape and, in some cases, vibrant, saturated color to tell a story. I love those kinds of photos! But be careful, if you are using a DSLR, avoid looking directly into the sun through the viewfinder as this can harm your eyes!

If you enjoyed the photos in this article, check out my collection of silhouette images!