How to do Silhouette Photography in 4 Steps

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/