Silhouettes Within the Landscape

Photographers often talk about achieving the ‘perfect’ exposure, but what exactly is this? In truth there is no such thing – a 'technically' correct exposure will not always produce the most interesting or visually pleasing result. In practise, the correct exposure is simply one that records a scene or subject the way you, the photographer, intended.

Once you fully grasp exposure, you can manipulate your combination of shutter speed, aperture and ISO creatively. And one way to do this is to silhouette your subject. In theory, a silhouette is the result of poor exposure. It is an extreme form of contre jour photography, with the subject strongly backlit and recorded as a black outline, devoid of colour or detail. Combined with just the right subject matter, results can be dramatic and eye-catching.

The best times of day to shoot silhouettes within the landscape is when the sun is near the horizon and the sky is bright  – close to sunrise and sunset. Anything sandwiched between your camera and the sun (or the surrounding sky) will appear as an inky, dark shape. It is important you expose correctly for the brighter sky and not for the darker foreground, so select spot metering mode and meter from a bright area of the scene. By using these settings to take your photo, you will expose the sky correctly, but underexpose your foreground subjects, thus creating your silhouette. If you don’t feel confident about changing metering mode, simply apply negative exposure compensation (or select a faster shutter speed if you shooting in Manual exposure mode) until you achieve the result you desire. Assuming your camera has a Live histogram, use this to guide you. 

SUBJECT SELECTION

Knowing how to create a silhouette is just part of the equation – subject choice and shooting angle will make or break your contre jour shots. Given that you subject will be devoid of colour or detail, it is important to photograph a scene or subject with a strong and recognizable outline. Castles, landmarks, piers, and trees are good examples of suitable subjects. Select a perspective where you can isolate your subject and project it clearly against a brighter backdrop. Avoid your subject overlapping and blending together with other objects – if they do so, their impact will be severely reduced. Also avoid anything distracting from the frame – simplicity often works best.

TOP TIPS

• Look for instantly recognisable subjects to silhouette – for example, a skeletal tree, building, or well-known landmark. 
• When shooting silhouettes, expect your histogram to be skewed to the left of the graph. While this would normally indicate incorrect exposure, in this case the level of underexposure is intentional and creative.   
• Remove graduated ND filters – in this instance, you don’t want to balance the light or record detail in the landscape.