There’s more to the simple art of shooting silhouettes than meets the eye.
Silhouettes are attractive because they’re so delightfully simple, yet at the same time they offer more than meets the eye.
At its best, a silhouette uses very little to imply a great deal. Basically you have just two tones and an edge, yet, if it’s well done the viewer can infer depth and detail in the darkness. It’s probably this visual gestalt test which makes silhouettes interesting; they have the power of suggestion.
A silhouette can bring a hint of mystery to the most mundane object because it conceals boring, fussy or confusing details, and leaves only a bold outline, like a puzzle in which you have to identify a subject purely from its shape and guess at its blank interior. But like any puzzle it musn’t be too difficult to solve – that is, if you want your viewers to respond. It must be a recognisable outline...
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: How to master creative panning • Shoot stunning black & white beachscapes • How to take great shots with off-camera flash • Locations – Purnululu NP, WA • Nikon D3100