With silhouette photography you no longer see details of the object; it has become one black (or gray) plane where only the outline is clearly visible. With a silhouette you bring a certain tension into the photo, precisely because the details of the subject itself are missing. In this article you will learn the best tips for photographing a silhouette.
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Background lighter than the subject
When photographing a silhouette, it is important that there is a large difference in light (contrast) between the subject and the background. The background should be much brighter than the subject.
The easiest way is to photograph against the (sun) light, with the sky forming the background. The background doesn’t necessarily have to be the sky. A large lamp, screens, a window or even underwater is possible! As long as it is (much) lighter than the subject in the foreground.
Clear contour and shape
It is important that the silhouette has a clear shape and contours, otherwise it will not be recognizable to the viewer of the photo. Silhouettes must separate well from the background and must not disappear or merge (partially) with other dark parts of the photo.
Squeeze your eyes and see the silhouette before taking the picture
Squeeze your eyes a little bit to better assess whether the situation is appropriate. A camera has a limited dynamic range. This means that a camera is less able to capture both very light and very dark in one image. Where in such a situation we still ‘just’ see the subject (so: without it becoming a silhouette for us) and the background is not too bright, a camera cannot do this. By squinting, you better estimate whether there is enough difference between light and dark for silhouette photography.
Start or end of the day
If you want to photograph a silhouette against the sky, then the beginning or the end of the day is often the most suitable for this. The sun is low in the sky, so the sky cannot be too bright above the ground. The sunlight has a horizontal direction, making one part of the subject easily “shaded”. It is no coincidence that most silhouette photos were taken while shooting a sunset or sunrise!
But even after sunset you still take good silhouette photos, because the sky is not immediately black, but the subject quickly darkens at dusk (as with the blue hour).
Underexpose with a silhouette photo
Is the subject still too bright and no silhouette is formed? Then choose your camera setting so that you deliberately underexpose the photo extra.
Increase contrast in post processing
To enhance the silhouette, you can increase the contrast in the photo in post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop and / or make the dark tones even darker.
Play with white balance
Play with your white balance for creative effects and beautiful colors. Silhouette photography often consists of a limited number of colors; the subject is black and (in the case of a sky) has only a limited color gradient. With a custom white balance you can make the colors warmer or cooler, or create a different creative effect. You can change your white balance during shooting or (if you shoot in RAW) in post-processing.
Make a star out of a light source
Is the sun in the background? Shoot with a small aperture to turn the sun into a star of light
Minimal details are allowed
Silhouette photography does not always have to be completely dark. It’s okay if there are still some shades of gray in it. It is also not necessary for the silhouette to be the only subject in the photo.
Silhouette as a frame
You can also use a silhouette as a frame in the photo, where the frame draws attention to your subject.
