How to Do Silhouette Photography
HELLO
My name is Kueh Lapis. I share the passion for photography by giving free presentations. You can find me @kuehlapis
That's what I'll be. A silhouette, rarely seen, and yet believed in. - Ellen Hopkins
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT • A decent camera – DSLR or mirrorless. • Flash, if you intend to shoot indoors. • Neutral Density & Circular Polarizer filter – Good to have if you shoot outdoors. • A copy of Photoshop
THE BASIC IDEA
• Silhouette photography is easy to create. • Just place your subject against a bright background. • Keep as little light on the subject as possible.
STEP 1) CHOOSE SUBJECT • Subjects are not just people. They can be animals, trees, buildings and just about anything. • Make sure that your subject has a distinct shape silhouette does not capture details.
STEP 2) CHOOSE STAGE • Outdoors – Shooting against a bright sky is your best bet in an open area. • Indoor – Bright doors and windows are your best bets. • Indoor – Alternatively, you can blast a flash on a white wall to create a bright background.
STEP 3A) CAMERA SETTINGS - MANUAL
• These are “generic settings” – Use as a reference only, you have to determine your own “best settings”. • Aperture – f/5.6 or more. You need to capture depth of field. • Shutter speed – Open factor. Just fast enough to prevent blur. • ISO – As low as possible, keep the noise down. • Shoot in RAW.
STEP 3B) CAMERA SETTINGS - AUTO
• • • •
Set metering to “spot“ or “centered”. Point a bright spot, press and hold exposure lock. Switch focus point back to subject. Focus and take the picture.
STEP 4) SHOOT AND CHIMP
• Revise your photo on the spot. • Adjust your settings if required. • Better to get it right on the spot, than to regret later.
TIP 1) BACKGROUND INTEREST • An empty background will pronounce the subject. • But sometimes, having some background interest will add on to the photo as well. • Trees, waterfalls, windmills, etc… They can be a good addition.
TIP 2) ACTION! • Silhouette photography is not all about boring static pieces of rocks and people. • Jump, run or throw some stuff around.
TIP 3) BRACKETING – LAZY SHOOTING • You can use negative bracketing to quickly help you get silhouettes. • Not the film age anymore – You don’t have to worry about running out of film.
THANK YOU!
For the full guide and more tips on Silhouette Photography, please visit –
http://xlightphotography.com/how-todo-silhouette-photography/