How to Photograph Silhouettes

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Have you ever seen the picture where your eyes are just drawn in and then you realize the subject is totally black? The whole trick is to underexpose them and position them in front of a bright background. The best subjects are things that are instantly recognized, like a sailboat or tree or even a person. It is fun to play around with this type of photography. Sometimes you can get some very dramatic effects.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Camera
Flash turned off

Step1

Look for a bright background. It can be a sunset, a bonfire, a lake or any such setting. It needs to be overly bright so that your subject will be completely black. Also it helps the structure of the photo if the background is uncluttered.

Step2

Now the secret is to position the subject directly between the camera and the background. You might have to move around a little to achieve this effect. For instance, if you are shooting a picture of a rowboat in the moonlight, try to catch the full brightness of the moonlight with no obstructions other than the rowboat.

Step3

Most photography is not done during full sun, but this type of shot can lend itself well to overexposing the background and underexposing the subject. Maybe you can catch a zoom shot of someone swimming but the sun's reflection in the water blinds you. This is a great opportunity for a silhouette if the subject is clear enough. Just watch for sun flare by keeping the sun out of the picture.