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silhouettes
Feb 18, 2012 12:50:32   #
Leah03 Loc: Iowa
 
So can anyone explain to me how to go about taking a good silhouette...settings, times of day etc and post some if you have any good ones, but if you post, tell me what the settings are that you used...

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Feb 18, 2012 12:57:32   #
camharnden237
 
First you usually want your subject in front of the sun or light source. Your shutter speed should be high. Maybe start from the highest and work your way down till you get what you want. Also you iso should be around 200-350.
Leah03 wrote:
So can anyone explain to me how to go about taking a good silhouette...settings, times of day etc and post some if you have any good ones, but if you post, tell me what the settings are that you used...



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Feb 18, 2012 12:59:16   #
14kphotog Loc: Marietta, Ohio
 
I have done a few at weddings, in doorways. 1 dark church- 2 sunny outside- 3 meter for bright sunlight-4 have subject stand inside of doorway, underexpose 1-2 stops. To do inside for head shots put up white sheet, have subject sit behind sheet, use flash back of subject to cast silhouette on sheet. meter for light on sheet only. :roll:

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Feb 19, 2012 07:24:44   #
Vock Canyon
 
MWAC,

I love your photos. Much happiness in them.

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Feb 19, 2012 07:26:44   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
MWAC wrote:
Here are mine.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6070/6023578349_e5f8981357_z.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6086/6024129098_5dc69ae319_z.jpg

It's actually pretty easy to do, as mentioned the light source (this case sunset) has to behind the subject. Meter of the sky (light source), take a test shot adjust as shutter speed, ISO or Aperture as needed to get desired affect.


Great shots!

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Feb 19, 2012 07:36:22   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Leah03 wrote:
So can anyone explain to me how to go about taking a good silhouette...settings, times of day etc and post some if you have any good ones, but if you post, tell me what the settings are that you used...

I took a Nikon course years ago (film days), and they taught us a good silhouette technique. This involved a double exposure with film, so it was tricky.

You take a full frame photo of the profile of a person's head, backlit so it's all black. Into the center of that black silhouette, you place an image of the person properly lit looking into the camera or facing the same way as the silhouette. To get the black silhouette, you pose the subject near a wall and bounce a flash against the wall so that the head is backlit. I did quite a few of these with my old Nikon F. Where those prints are now, I have no idea.

This would probably be easy to do in post processing. Perhaps someone will list the steps involved.

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Feb 19, 2012 11:37:30   #
cybermomm
 
This was taken at sunset on October 12, 2011.
Nikon D300
105mm lens
ISO 1250
f/14
1/250s



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Feb 19, 2012 11:43:03   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
cybermomm wrote:
This was taken at sunset on October 12, 2011.
Nikon D300
105mm lens
ISO 1250
f/14
1/250s

Great angle.

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Feb 19, 2012 14:10:30   #
Greg Loc: Maryland
 
jerryc41 wrote:
cybermomm wrote:
This was taken at sunset on October 12, 2011.
Nikon D300
105mm lens
ISO 1250
f/14
1/250s

Great angle.


yeah, but it looks like he hooked it ;)

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Feb 19, 2012 21:36:51   #
alann Loc: Virginia
 
Easy way to remember. Make sure the light source is behind the subject(s). Use spot metering and take your exposure reading from the background. Works a treat.

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Feb 20, 2012 12:00:51   #
Leah03 Loc: Iowa
 
Thank you to all of you who gave such wonderful advice and I LOVE all of the photos...this definitely inspires me...

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