silhouette photo tips

[MattSepeta]

I have been asked by a co-worker to do some portraits of him and his wife. They have asked me to create "silhouette portraits," like the attached image.

Here is my plan: Shoot them against a basic backdrop, blow it out as much as possible with 1 or 2 flashes. After that, use photoshop to fill in their heads.

Does anyone have any better ideas? Thanks a ton

 

[flosseR]

meter against a bright white background, AE lock, focus and shoot...
It's the same way you get these silhouette shots in the setting sun etc.
You just have to meter against bright and even white. When done, in Photoshop select all white, inverse and fill with black. Anti alias the edges and you should be done.

//F

 

[MattSepeta]

Thanks! Sounds like what I was planning on doing.

I was more concerned with not having a pure-white background. This is going to be a run-n-gun 30 minute thing this afternoon, so I was wondering if anyone had tried the "flash to blow out and create a white" background.

 

[panoz7]

Thanks! Sounds like what I was planning on doing.

I was more concerned with not having a pure-white background. This is going to be a run-n-gun 30 minute thing this afternoon, so I was wondering if anyone had tried the "flash to blow out and create a white" background.

The flash will have no problem blowing out the background, but that might not be the best idea. Your lens isn't going to be able to handle the contrast between the super bright background and the dark subject too well. You might end up with a somewhat blurry / hazzy edge. Instead I'd meter the background so that it's coming close to being overexposed but isn't. As long as the room is relatively dark you shouldn't have any trouble with the person going to pure black as long as you shoot with a fair bit of flash power on the wall and at a high aperture.