A large number of small and unnecessary details in the frame is one of the most common compositional mistakes of novice photographers. See photos in style for an example. A monochromatic background, one main object, most often located along, but these photographs attract the eye, make you think, and it is a pleasure to admire them.
Photos of silhouettes are simple at first glance. This is what they capture our attention and make our mind think, the imagination itself draws what is hidden in the dark.
A silhouette is an outline of an object that looks like a shadow.
Let's talk about how to photograph a silhouette? After a few tips, let's move on to Photoshop.
How to photograph a silhouette?
Despite the apparent simplicity of silhouette photos, their creation will require effort and, of course, practice.
Before taking the camera, you need to carefully consider the frame, since only the outer contours of the object will be visible in the photo, it should be easily recognizable.
- In order to take a picture of a silhouette, you need to turn off the automatic mode of your camera (if you suddenly use it) and switch, for example, to Av (Aperture Value) or A mode - or to Tv (Time value) or S mode - shutter priority or to full manual mode"M". You need to turn off the automatic mode because the camera program contains the function of maximum study of the foreground details and, as a result, the camera, not knowing your idea, can turn on the flash and ruin everything.
- Silhouettes are created in backlight (a bright light source located behind the subject). Sunsets and sunrises will be an excellent source of such light. In order to get a good detail of the clouds and the entire sky, the exposure should be set to the bright part of the sky. It is desirable that the background is plain.
- The silhouette should be simple and easily recognizable, it also needs to be well drawn and not merge with other objects in the frame - trees, poles, grass. A big one doesn't hurt either.
- If the shooting conditions do not allow shooting at fast shutter speeds, use a tripod and remote control remote control or a cable release, then you will definitely avoid .
Now you know how to photograph a silhouette, but in life, not everything always goes smoothly and the idea may not work out the first time, in this case, graphic editors will come to your aid.
How to make a silhouette in photoshop?
If the idea could not be realized live without the use of graphic editors, do not despair, you just have to spend a little time processing the frame in Photoshop.
This shot was conceived as a silhouette shot, but the exposure, apparently, was made not for the brightest part of the sky, but for people, as a result, the sky turned out to be faded, and people were underexposed, as they say “not fish - not meat”.
Let's fix the situation.
If desired, you can fix it if it is very annoying (although in fact it is a slide). Next, open the image in Photoshop. Since the image is in “RAW” format, you can extract more information from it than from a regular “JPG”, we will open it in Camera Raw.
The essence of processing is to highlight the object that you want to make a silhouette and reduce its brightness and increase contrast. Since the sky turned out to be faded, you can play with the color and increase its saturation.
To select an object, you can use the tool “ ” (Quick Selection) or go in a slightly different way (improvise and for each specific photo choose the most convenient and easy way for you).
I decided to use the Magic Wand tool, but before I use it, I need to take a few steps.
Open the image and adjust the color of the sky to your liking.
I want the cyclist and the ground to be a dark silhouette, for this I need to select them and change the brightness. You can select the sky and then invert the selection, or select the desired objects at once.
To simplify the selection process, I made the image black and white and made sure that the sky was as contrasting as possible with respect to the necessary objects.
Open the image by clicking on the “Open Image” button. The resulting image must be copied to a new layer to the color image.
Select an object with the Magic Wand
Since I did the example in a hurry, the selection turned out to be sloppy in many places, if you spend more time, the result will be much better.
If desired, the silhouette can be left on a white background.
Or use a “native background” with a tree
This will be a short lesson how to make a silhouette faces.
Let's open a photo of an adorable baby.
1-File-open.
2-Unlock layer. To do this, go to the layers window and double-click on the layer with the left mouse button. In the window that appears, "ok".
Now let's make a copy of the layer.
3-Layer-create a duplicate layer.
4-Go to the layers window and there select the blending mode "linear dodge".
The image became light.
Again, make a copy of the layer, but already the top one (the top layer is active, highlighted in blue).
5-Layer-create a duplicate layer. The image became even brighter.
6-Layer-merge visible. Note not to "layer-flatten" because then you won't be able to create a layer for the background.
Let's create a new layer for the background.
7-layer-new-layer. Go to the layers window, click on the new layer and, without releasing the left mouse button, drag it under the layer with the image.
8-Editing-fill. Let's do this: On the toolbar, the colors button should be black and white.
If this is not the case, press D on the keyboard (on the English layout) and black and white will be set. In the fill window, select "background color" and, since the background color on the color button is white, the layer will be filled with white.
9-Select the eraser on the vertical layers panel and erase unnecessary.
I usually talk about how important it is to use a flash when shooting in the sun to show the details of the subject being photographed, but sometimes it will be more effective, on the contrary, to level out all the details, except for the contours, and present the subject against a bright background - in other words, take a picture silhouette.
Silhouettes- a great way to convey drama, mystery, emotions and mood to the viewer, they always stand apart in the album due to the fact that, with apparent simplicity, they tell us a whole story. I love them because they do not show the viewer a clear picture of everything that is happening, but leave room for fantasy.
The key to shooting silhouettes is positioning your subject (the shape you want to show) in front of some kind of light source and adjusting your camera exposure to the brightest part of your image (the background) rather than the subject. Thus, the subject will be underexposed (very dark, if not black).
There are many technical descriptions on how to get great silhouette shots, which you might want to familiarize yourself with, but let me go through a few basic steps to get you where you want to go. The key is to make your camera think that the brightest parts of the image are what you are interested in.
Here's how to do it:
1. Choose the right object
Almost every object can be represented as a silhouette, but some are more suitable for this purpose than others. Choose something with a clear and recognizable shape that will look interesting enough to the viewer, even in 2D. Silhouettes cannot be based on the colors, textures, or tones of objects, so the shape must be distinct.
2. Turn off the flash
If you are filming in automatic mode, then your camera may want to use flash, which will spoil the silhouette. In this case, you want as little light on your subject as possible - so flash should be omitted (however, I've seen some experimental shots of silhouettes with flash on).
3. Choose the right lighting
When it comes to lighting your subject, you need to forget most of what you know about normal photography and start thinking the other way around. Instead of lighting your subject from the front, when shooting silhouettes you need to make sure that most of the light comes from the background and not from the foreground - in other words - you need to light the subject more from behind than from the front. A sunset or sunrise is ideal for this purpose, against which you can photograph the object, but in fact, almost any bright light source will do.
4. Frame the frame
Frame the frame so that your subject is in front of a pleasant and simple, but at the same time bright background. Usually the best background is a bright, cloudless sky with a setting sun. You need to place the brightest light source behind your subject (so that it is hidden behind it, or somewhere else in the background).
5. Create a clear and concise silhouette shape
If there is more than one shape in the frame that you are going to represent as a silhouette, try to keep the distance between the objects. For example, if you are making silhouettes of a tree and a person, you should not place the person in front of the tree or even ask him to lean on it, because. in this case, the objects will merge into one form, and the viewer will be perplexed what it is.
Also, when composing your shot, you may want to photograph the silhouettes of people in profile rather than looking directly into the frame. In this way, more features (nose, mouth, eyes) will stand out, and the person will be more likely to be recognized.
6. In automatic mode
Most modern digital cameras have automatic system metering, which adjusts the exposure so that everything is well lit. The problem is that most cameras are so smart that they will light up the subject instead of underexposing it to get a silhouette, so you need to outsmart your camera.
Most cameras adjust exposure levels automatically when you press the shutter button halfway (at the same time focusing). So aim your camera at the brightest part of the image and hold the shutter button halfway down (and don't let go). Then move the camera back to include your subject in the frame, and then press the button all the way down and take the frame. On most digital cameras, this will give you a silhouetted subject.
This way you trick your camera into thinking that the brightest part of the image is the midtones, so anything darker will look like a nice deep shadow in the frame.
Some digital cameras also have spot metering or center metering modes, which can help you with the above technique because the camera will measure exposure from one point rather than multiple points. This means that you can tell the camera exactly which part of the light background you want to expose.
7. Manual mode
If this technique doesn't work and your camera has manual exposure or exposure compensation mode, you could try using your own settings. The beauty of digital is that you can experiment with the frame until you get the result you want.
An easy way to get started in manual mode is to look at the shutter speed and aperture offered by the camera in auto mode and start there. If your subject is too light in auto mode (i.e. you need to make it darker), lower your shutter speed by a stop or two and see what happens. Use the "bracketing" technique I described in my previous Sunrise and Sunrise article to get multiple shots with slightly varying exposure.
8. Focus
In most cases, you will want the silhouette to be clearly in focus. This complicates the process described in point 4, because when you hold the shutter button halfway to measure exposure, the background is in focus at the same time. To get around this point, you can follow two strategies. First, if your camera has manual focus, you can use it. Focus before metering exposure.
The second way is to use the aperture to maximize the depth of field (the fraction of the image that is in focus). Set a small aperture (i.e. a larger f/number) to increase the depth of field - this is how you are most likely to get a sharp background and foreground.
One last tip for silhouettes- A full silhouette, where the entire subject is black and sharp, can be very effective, but it's also worth considering a partial silhouette, in which only a subset of your subject's details are shown in this way. Sometimes one small ray of light makes the object a little more voluminous and “real”. This is the beauty of bracketing - it allows you to choose between general and partial silhouettes.
Usually they always say that it is necessary to use a flash when photographing against the sun: this compensates for the lack of light, and the object in the photograph acquires a clear outline. However, in some cases it is more useful to make the object devoid of any expressive features other than the outline - in other words, to make a silhouette.
Silhouettes are a great way to convey to the viewer the drama, magic, emotion, and mood of your photographs; they will always stand out in any album due to the combination of simplicity and deep story they express. They are loved because they do not reveal the whole picture to the observer and leave part of the image for reflection and fantasizing.
The main idea to follow is to position the subject (the one you want to see dark) in front of the light source. Your the main task- force the camera to set the exposure by focusing on the lightest part of your photo (background) and not on the main subject. If you manage to do this, the subject in the photo will not be exposed (and therefore appear very dark, if not black at all).
There are so many specialized instructions on how to make a great photo silhouette, maybe you have already seen them; but this article will focus on the main steps that will allow you to achieve the desired result. In essence, you need to make your camera think that the part of the photo that is of most interest to you is light.
8 Easy Steps to Photograph a Silhouette
How to photograph a silhouette
1
. Choose a clear object.
Almost any object can be made into a silhouette, but some objects are better suited for this. Choose something with a clear and easily recognizable shape so that it looks interesting and eye-catching in 2D. To make silhouettes attractive, you can not use color, shades or texture - so the image must be clear.
2
. Turn off the flash.
If your camera is in auto mode, then it will most likely want to use a flash that will destroy the silhouette. Basically, you want the front of the subject to be minimally lit, so the flash should be turned off (mostly; some people try to photograph a silhouette with it).
3
. Get the Light Right.
When it comes to lighting your subject, you need to discard most of what you know about conventional photography and start thinking a little backwards. Instead of lighting directly on the subject, when shooting a silhouette photo, you should make sure that the strongest light source is in the background of the photo. In other words, you want the back of your subject to be brighter than the front. by the most the best option will place the subject against sunset or sunrise - but really, any bright light will do.
4
. Arrange the composition.
Line up your future frame so that the subject being photographed is on a pleasant, simple, but at the same time bright background. Usually the best background is a bright, cloudless, sunset sky. You need to place the brightest light source behind the object.
5
. Make the silhouette clear and concise.
If you are trying to photograph the silhouette of more than one object, try to place them at a distance from each other. For example, if you want to take a picture of a tree and a person, don't place the person in front of or even on top of the tree, as this will cause them to merge into one shape, making it hard to tell who the silhouette is when looking at the photo.
In addition, when building a composition, it will be more successful to capture the silhouettes of people in profile than in full face. In this case, the features of a person (nose, mouth, eyes) will be better drawn and more likely to be recognized. You can read about how to properly compose a snapshot.
6
. In automatic mode.
Most modern digital cameras have automatic exposure metering, and they manage to expose the entire photo and completely brighten every detail. The problem is that most cameras are so "smart" that they will light up the subject of your photo instead of underexposing it and turning it into a silhouette, which is what you want. Mostly, cameras set the exposure automatically when you press the shutter button halfway (at the same time the camera focuses). So, aim your camera at the brightest part of your composition and then press the button halfway (don't let go). Then move the camera back, frame the subject the way you want, and take the picture. On most digital cameras, the result is a silhouette photo. What you are really doing is tricking the camera into thinking that the brightest part of the image is the one with the average brightness tone. So, anything darker than it will be highlighted as a great dark shadow.
How to photograph a silhouette
Some digital cameras have a "spot" or "center" metering mode. It can help you with the above photographic technique, as the camera will only measure light at the center point of the image, not everywhere. This means that you can tell the camera exactly which bit of the bright background you want to expose.
7
. Manual mode.
If the above method doesn't work and your camera has manual exposure controls or , you can try setting your own settings. The beauty of digital cameras is that you can experiment to your heart's content until you get the results you want.
The easiest way to start using manual mode is to look at the shutter speeds and , which are offered in automatic mode, and build from there. If your subject is too light in auto mode (and you need to darken it, for example), lower your shutter speed by one or two EV and see what happens. In order to take multiple shots at sunset and sunrise with different exposures, use the technique I described in previous topics.
8
. Focusing.
In most cases, you will want the object you are silhouetted to be in focus and look very sharp. This means that the process described in step 4 can be a bit more complicated than simply pressing the shutter button halfway to properly measure the exposure. It may happen that the camera focuses on a certain point in the background. There are two ways to avoid this. First, if your camera has one, you can use it. Focus your frame before metering the exposure of the frame.
The second way is to use an aperture for maximum depth of field (the size of the image that will be in focus). Set a small aperture (that is, a large f/number) to increase the depth of field. As a result, most likely, both the front and background on your photo will have clear outlines.
Finally, the last tip about silhouettes - of course, the general silhouette with a beautiful, clear, black subject will be a spectacular photo, but do not forget about partial silhouettes. Sometimes changing the light makes them a little more voluminous and "real". This is where auto-fork comes in handy for your images – it allows you to choose between full and partial silhouettes.
In this Photoshop tutorial, we will draw with black ink the silhouettes of beautiful ladies and their brave gentlemen.
We need a profile photo of a woman or a man.
For high-quality selection, the pen tool is best.
If you don't know how to use the Pen then check out this tutorial.
So, we create a smooth contour.
This is what the completed outline looks like.
Leave the feather radius at 0 and click OK.
Create a new layer and fill the selection with black.
I've hidden the background layer (turned it off) so the black silhouette is visible against the checkered background.
What are the shortcomings here?
1. The floor of the head is chopped off.
2. The silhouette looks boring, unrealistic.
Using the tool (move) move the silhouette to the center.
We take it again, we begin to finish drawing the head. Create an outline:
Turning the outline into a selection:
Fill the selection with black. Now the head is complete!
Add eyelashes, fluff hair. We do all this with the Pen:
After, I returned visibility to the background layer and combined the black silhouette with it. Decreased the layer with the silhouette transparency.
With the help of the Pen tool, I created a selection along the neckline of the dress and deleted the lower part of the silhouette.
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