Shooting Shadows & Silhouettes

Autumn’s waning light may leave you wondering what’s lurking in the shadows or if that silhouetted figure is something you should be hiding from, but when it comes to your photos, shadows and silhouettes shouldn’t scare you!

Let’s define the terms – in photography, shadows help create texture and add depth and balance to a subject or scene. The edges of a shadow can be sharp or soft, and the opacity of a shadow can range from almost transparent to virtually opaque.

Silhouettes are the solid shape of a person, object or scene, with crisp edges outlined by the dramatic contrast of light and dark that match the shape of subject. You can also create partial silhouettes, where one side of the subject is illuminated while the other is in darkness.

Shadows and silhouettes are a wonderful way to add mystery and mood to your images, as well as make intriguing subjects on their own. Here are some expert tips on how to shoot them and get the results you’re looking for:

Choosing Your Subject

• There’s no limit to your subject matter, but a few things are helpful to keep in mind. When shooting silhouettes, consider the outline and shape of your subject. Is it easily identifiable?
• Think about the white space between your subject and other elements to ensure a crisp outline that’s recognizable. This is especially important when shooting people together. You need enough space between them, so their silhouettes are distinct.
• Consider shooting a side view to portray facial features otherwise lost in a front-facing deeply shadowed or silhouetted capture.

Composition

• As they say, every picture tells a story, including ones of shadows and silhouettes. Determine what you want to say with your photo, then decide on the feeling or mood you want to convey, whether it’s something dramatic, mysterious, sharp or soft.
• The basic elements of good photo composition still apply – an appealing balance of space and detail that avoids visual clutter, a good use of negative space, the positioning of the subject (which may be the shadow or silhouette), the light angle and its intensity, and the line, shape, tone and visual weight of each element in the frame.
• Consider using shadows as a visual frame for your composition, too.

Light

• Obviously, when it comes to shadows and silhouettes, light plays a pretty prominent role. What may be considered “harsh” light for a typical photo can net amazing results for shadows.
• The size of your light source, the angle of your light source, the proximity of your subject to the light source and the color temperature of your light source all affect the look and quality of your shadows.
• Bright light directly behind a subject will result in a crisp silhouette.
• The larger and further away a light source is from a subject, the softer the shadow.
• Warm light will cast a cool shadow while cool/artificial light will cast a warm shadow.
• You can create and define shadows by the direction you angle your light source.
• Right before sunrise or sunset is a great time to shoot silhouettes outdoors, when your subject can be easily backlit and clearly contrasted against the sky. Position your subject directly in front of the brightest area of light.
• Shooting during sunrise or sunset allows you to take advantage of the sun’s low angle for long, dramatic shadows. For sharper shadows, plan outdoor shoots a few hours before or after 12 noon.
• Placing your subject closer to the light and lowering your ISO lets you properly expose your subject while deepening shadows.
• Elements with repetitive patterns like fences or grids can add to your shadow composition, so keep an eye out for them.

Camera Settings

• Shoot in manual mode when you can and keep your ISO low, so your camera doesn’t lift darker areas. This will keep your shadows rich.
• Focus your subject first, then meter to the background light, not your subject. Always opt for underexposure by selecting a faster shutter speed to enhance contrast and preserve details.
• Shooting in RAW will allow for easier editing of underexposed images in post.
• A fixed lowlight lens such as a 50mm f/1.2 or a 35mm f/1.4 will help capture light that’s barely perceptible to your eye.
• If you want shadows to be your focal point, it can help to shoot in black and white to simplify your composition and highlight tonal range.
• A tripod helps prevent camera shake when working in low light and a circular polarizer lens filter can help create more background depth, contrast and saturation.
• Use an aperture of f/8 or narrower when photographing directly into a light source, like a sunrise or sunset, to minimize chromatic aberration, or the blooming of color along the edge of elements within the frame.