“Capturing Alaska”
with Wayde Carroll






Silhouettes


  
    Effective use of silhouettes in photography can lead to very striking images. These photos can convey a sense of mystery and drama, they can lead one to observe a familiar object in a new way, and they can simply be used as a design element creating shapes or frames in an image.
    What is a silhouette? It is a subject that is backlit or contrasted against such a bright background that it is rendered as a nearly pure black shape. Often the having the sun directly behind your subject is a guaranteed way to produce this effect. Sometimes it just may be that your subject is in shade while the background is in direct sunlight.
     Once you start experimenting with them, silhouettes become an exciting creative tool in your photo arsenal. Instead of putting your camera down when your subject has no light on it, start looking for the potential silhouette! I love them because they highlight the essential elements of an object. If done well you know exactly what the subject is but there is still the unknown that adds interest.
     You must pay attention to the outline of your subject. You want to make sure that all the recognizable elements are readable. If you have a moose, for instance, silhouetted against a bright bank of fog, you want to make sure you have separation between the legs, that there is definition of its head etc. Otherwise you’ll end up with an unrecognizable black lump. Don’t get me wrong, you can have an unrecognizable object and still have a stunning image. You might be going for a straight graphic image of shapes and contrast. Just pay attention so you get the image you’re imagining.
     How do you expose for silhouettes?
     When I know I’m going for a silhouette I switch my camera into manual mode so that once my exposure is set it will stay that way. There is a possibility of varied exposures when using the program modes, especially if you vary your composition at all. (Which I hope you do!) In manual mode I set the exposure to render the bright background correctly. This will cause your subject to be so under exposed that it is black, or close to it, in your final image. A silhouette. If your subject is moving opt for a fast shutter speed. If depth of field is critical make sure your aperture is closed down.
     If you have an in camera flash make sure it is turned off or it will try to add light and ruin your silhouette!