ISO 400 f9.0 1/1250
Creating a silhouette is fun and easy. It can convey moodiness, drama, emotion or mystery. These are one of my favorite things to photograph. The simplicity of it draws me in and makes me want to take more. Here is a quick tutorial on how I achieved this look.
- Place your subject in front of the sky or lighter background.
- if you are photographing a sunset like I did, you will want a larger depth of field. The higher the aperture the larger the DOF
- Set your exposure based on the lightest area you are photographing . Make sure it is the lightest area of the sky but NOT the sun. You can use your camera meter reading as a starting point but you many have to play around with this a little bit. NOTE: the camera meter is not always correct. I generally use this a starting point to get the look I am trying to achieve. Do not use a flash for a silhouette.
- Place your focal point on the subject that you are shooting to get a nice sharp silhouette.
- Snap away!
Choosing a subject that has a recognizable shape is key to holding viewers interest. If you are unable to see the details in the photo, it takes away from what emotion you are trying to evoke.
iso 400 f7.1 1/1000