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By using these two simple techniques, you can capture great, moody silhouette shots.

1. Have your subject between the sun and the camera
The first rule of silhouettes is to have your subject between the sun and the camera, so that the subject will be backlit. This way they will be shadowed, making it easier to get the silhouette effect. If the sun is still fairly high in the sky, you will want to move around until it is hidden behind your subject. If it is starting to dip behind the horizon, direct light is less of a concern.

2. Under-expose for a black silhouette effect
To make your subject appear as a black silhouette, you will have to under-expose them a bit. The easiest way to do this is to make your camera think that it is bright out. So, point your camera at the sky, which will be brighter than your subject.

The camera will choose a smaller aperture in order to limit the amount of light coming into the camera from the sky. Then, lock the exposure on your camera and re-compose the shot to include your subject. Since less light is being captured, there will be less detail in your subject. The under-exposure will pull the detail from them and make them appear as a dark black silhouette.

If your camera can't lock the exposure, you can often still under-expose the picture with other controls. Setting your shutter speed faster, your aperture narrower, your EV to -1 or -2, or your film speed faster will all under-expose your picture as well.

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Best Regards,
Gary Hendricks
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