You have probably heard this a million times, but the secret behind great photographers is that htey have developed an eye for lighting.  Watching the sun at different times of the day and how it reflects form walls, on plants, on someone’s face etc.

This also rings very true when trying to take photos of silhouettes.  A photo with a bright background and only an outline of a person or subject matter.  The key is to make sure your subject is in front of a bright background and then using your camera and setting the exposure to expose for the brightest part of the photo.

This will ensure that your subject matter is dark and only shows the outline with a well exposed background.  This can make for very eye catching, dramatic photos.  The kind which will make you look twice.

Don’t you just love this photo!   Roedean private girls school in South Africa commissioned us to do these silhouette photographs for them as part of redoing the image of the school as well as for their new marketing campaign for 2010.  Our aim was to capture girls silhouetted indifferent parts of the school so as to signify that it could be any girl at this magnificent school.

Roedean school os full of heritage, this school has existed for more than 100 years and they just have a historical tale for just about everything in this school.  It is such a privilege for Louise and I to be part of this heritage and share in everything they stand for.

In photography you will always be really good at some area or another, be it photographing people, cars or food.  The others you will just have to work that little bit harder.  So my advice to anyone trying to capture great silhouette photos is to never stop experimenting.  PS-Time of day is also a very important factor.  The sun needs to be very low in the sky (early morning or late afternoon) to help make your photographic journey a little bit easier!

Riani