THE IMAGES BELOW ARE ALL STUDIES IN UNDERSTANDING ‘LIGHT’ AND ‘SHADOWS’.
Creating silhouettes in photography is a terrific way to add visual drama or impact in your street imagery. The contrast and absence of detail in a subject produces a mystery which can be quite pleasing for the viewer. They are not complicated to create and enjoyable to seek out when you’re out with your camera.
The crucial element to creating a successful and interesting silhouette is that you must have the subject in focus. The simpler the subject the better, when looking for great silhouettes. Keep in mind, the important thing is that you need a defined shape because you will not have much visible features on your main subject. Outlines of bodies, hats or identifiable items are always a benefit.
Street photography can be quite thrilling, I appreciate the spontaneity and honesty of it. It is unscripted, unplanned and immediate. It is to capture a moment of everyday life, an expression or a situation in real time in a fraction of a second. With the click of the shutter, a street image is formed, one that has never been viewed before and will likely never be seen again.
When I photograph, I get into a very calm state of mind… In other words, I get in the “zone” where my camera becomes an extension of myself and a conduit to my creative mind.. This mindset helps me appreciate the present where creativity is then limitless. For me, street photography is like a walking meditation.
How to create a Silhouette: Making a good silhouette photo doesn’t have to be excessively complicated. Though there are some straightforward steps that you should follow to master the art of silhouettes.
The key element in creating silhouettes is understand light.
Here are a few steps to guide you.
1. Point your camera to a bright light spot and set the exposure. (Manual setting here is recommended).
2. Compose the image by applying leading lines and/or the rules of thirds.
3. Wait for a subject to enter or pass between the light and the camera.
4. Concentrate on your subject’s shape. Look for clean shapes
5. Use Zone-Focusing.
(For those who are not familiar with zone focusing, you basically use a high f-stop number with a deep depth of field (f/16 or f/11) and have your camera pre-focused to a certain distance to get your photos in-focus. Using zone focusing when shooting street photography will get you much more keepers.
