Vital Components of Silhouettes

For a silhouette to be successful, the right elements must exist.

A Very Bright Background to Create Contrast

A bright background is the first step to achieving a stunning silhouette. A great background can be the sky or any surface that is backlit. A photographer can backlight a background using natural light. Any room with a clean, light-colored wall also can be used by lighting it with a flash or video light, as shown in this chapter.

Subjects or Objects Should Have Little or No Light Falling on Them

With respect to the brightness of the background, the subjects or objects should have very limited light on them, if any. This will ensure a stark contrast, resulting in a much more defined outline.

No On-Camera Flash