The rural prairie and its natural textures combined with the setting sun. Add a loving family that adores their one-year-old child and you have a recipe for a moment of bliss. What better place to raise a family…
F11 ~ 1/500 ~ ISO 100 ~ Canon 5D Mark 2
A silhouette can give an image the feeling of drama, flair, mystery or emotion and is exciting to capture, with a little practice. I generally set my camera manually to control exposure, so that is easiest for me.
F11 ~ 1/500 ~ ISO 100 ~ Canon 5D Mark 2
If you aren’t comfortable shooting in manual you can try automatic, but be aware that metering systems in digital cameras are set to expose your subject so you may need to “trick” your camera into a setting to create a silhouette and be sure to shut your flash off. Point your camera toward the brightest spot, push shutter button down half-way and don’t let go, move to compose photo and take the picture. If the subject is not focused since you are pointing to the bright spot, you may need to switch to manual focus, focus the subject and then point your camera toward the bright spot, put half-way on the shutter, hold it there, compose image and take the photo.
If that doesn’t provide the results you are seeking, manually adjust your settings to produce the look you want. Look at the aperture and shutter readings when you point to the brightest spot and then manually set aperture and shutter speed based on the reading. You can use a low ISO since you are wanting a dark look.
The beauty of digital photography is that you can play around with the settings until you achieve the look you want. So go out and enjoy the sunsets on the prairie and take some of that beauty home with you in a silhouette image.
RJMeyerArts: Photo Tips & Bits 