I have to admit. Silhouettes are a recurring theme in my photography. There’s something about them that I really love. I think it’s the fact that they’re so easy to do, but so hard to do really well. I love that challenge. But I also love the effect of a silhouette – it simplifies, while strengthens; dramatizes, while downplaying. There’s an interesting tension to the silhouette, and a timelessness to the really good ones that make them compelling even after decades.
Most of the time we want our subjects to be well lit and properly exposed. But occasionally, a situation calls for you to go against that conventional wisdom, expose for the highlights and let your subject go black. This, of course, is the silhouette. In my latest Tech Tip for Adorama TV, I talk about how to begin taking memorable silhouettes.
Again, all of the rules for light, composition and moment apply, but you’ll need to pay special attention to line, shape and form. When you succeed in bringing all of those elements together, your silhouette will make people say “Wow!”
You can read more about this picture in my Story Behind the Image.
Hope you enjoy this latest Tech Tip, and be sure to check out more videos like this on adorama.com.
