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Garry Black Photography

Question:

Hi Garry,
My name is Ron, and I am starting out in wedding photography. Could you share your techniques on taking a silhouette photo? I am interested in your one photo of the two hands holding wineglasses. Thank you.

Answer:

The silhouette photo of the two hands was taken in the studio. The background was white seamless paper - two flashes were used, one on each side aimed directly at the background paper, no light was falling on the hands. For any silhouette image the background must be at least three stops brighter than your subject.

For the hands the meter reading for the background was 1/125 sec. F22. I shot the image at 1/125 sec @ F16 in order to overexpose the white paper by one stop. Since there was no light falling on the hands they remained black - the glasses being translucent allowed the background light to expose the wine in the glasses.

If I am creating a silhouette outdoors, I do this at sunrise or sunset. With my subject being backlite by the sun and sky, I expose for the sky, which then makes the subject a silhouette.

Hope this answers your question.