Silhouette photography

Taking photograph in a correct exposure is the first step where a beginner photographer began. Underexposure and overexposure pictures are categorized as “wrong” in the public’s eye.

However, there is one of the photography skill called “Silhouette” which mean by letting the subject (or foreground) be underexposure and capture the background with normal exposure. Silhouette is one of the photographers’ technique to strengthen the power of story in their picture. Strong contrast between the background and the subject gives a great combination of feeling which the photographer would ever wanted to show.

It is effective not only to solve the problem of different exposure (on foreground and background), but also convey emotions and dramatic feeling into your picture. Photographers who take silhouette pictures may not intent to give clear image of the subject, in fact they fully utilize the darker subject to boost up their picture’s feeling.

The oil palm silhouette strengthen the golden sky in the picture. The picture gave a feeling of warmth to the audience.

I take this picture early in the morning on my trip to Kuantan. Cooling weather and bluish-purple project a feel of harmony.

Love is in the air!! From the eyesight the couple looking into each other, no doubt a lovely couple they are!

• What is the condition of taking silhouette picture?

—– The contrast!! Different lighting in between the subject and the background. The different exposure separated their images. Darker subject and lighter background.

• How to photograph silhouette picture?

—– If you’re taking picture at Manual, Aperture priority or Shutter speed priority, set your exposure in between 0 to -1, or else set your exposure according to the background.

* Whenever if you’re using a flashgun, set it off. The strong flash beam would turn your dark subject into a clear image and you definitely lose a great silhouette.

To capture a nice silhouette, try to frame your picture and set it to be “covered” by background.

For example

We can clearly see the dream and freedom projected by the young boy by his high jump.

It would be a nicer silhouette photograph when the subject is clearly covered by the background.

End of the sharing. Hope everyone loves this. Thanks!