When it comes to scenes with high-contrast lighting, your camera’s sensor struggles to capture the details of both the foreground subject and the background. Despite what one of the commonly taught rules in photography says, intentionally blowing out shadows can benefit your image. Here, you need to go against the grain and remember that not every element of an image needs to contain information.
By exposing the sky, the viewer’s attention is drawn toward its details, without being distracted by the lackluster foreground that adds little and may prove to be a hindrance. Underexposing the subject integrates into the scene, with only the outlines of the houses visible, creating a silhouette while adding an extra layer of depth and interest.
To capture scenes such as this, we must bear three things in mind. Firstly, the timing is crucial – sunrise and sunset often produce dramatic backdrops, but even harsh midday sun can work if it is hidden behind the subject you are trying to capture. Secondly, selecting the right subject is key, so choose ones with distinctive shapes or outlines, such as trees, houses or even humans.
Finally, it is crucial to keep the sun’s position in mind. To create a silhouette, you need to shoot into the sun. At midday, when the sun is at its highest, light illuminates the subject from many angles but when the sun is low at sunset or sunrise, an elevated perspective such as a window on the second floor offers the best angle to create a true black silhouette in front of a colorful sky.
Before and after
Before: Auto exposed
The exposure meter of the camera indicates an exposure which is neither beneficial for the foreground subject nor the backdrop sky, resulting in a lack of depth and color (Image credit: Kim Bunermann)
Final: Powerful sky
By underexposing the scene by two stops and metering for the sky, the houses and the tree become silhouettes with black pixels, creating contrast in front of the enhanced and detailed vibrant sky (Image credit: Kim Bunermann)
Shooting steps
1. Shoot in M
(Image credit: Future)
When trying to create silhouettes, it’s important to switch to manual mode. In automatic mode, the camera will try to optimize the exposure for the scene, searching for details in the dark elements and making it a challenge to get true black pixels.
2. Deactivate functions
(Image credit: Future)
Some cameras have modes that create a balanced exposure for all elements. To produce deep black pixels, disable these settings. For Nikon users, it’s called Active D-Lighting; Canon’s is Auto Lighting Optimizer; and Sony’s is DRO.
3. Attach a polarizer
(Image credit: Future)
A polarizing filter boosts the saturation in a scene but it also reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor. This tool isn’t ideal for low-light conditions, so this stage is optional, but it can be useful when shooting in harsh lighting conditions.
4. Select Spot Metering Mode
(Image credit: Future)
Metering from the brightest element is best to achieve balanced background exposure. Take the meter reading from the sky and not from the sun as this leads to underexposed results where it is not wanted – in this case, in the sky.
5. Set the focus
(Image credit: Future)
In low-light conditions, your camera’s autofocus can struggle to achieve a precise focus. If this is the case, disable the autofocus function and focus manually on the subject. Focus on the edges of the subject’s silhouette to make it easier.
6. Overview and fine tune
(Image credit: Future)
Pay attention to the histogram and zoom in on both the sky and the silhouette. Experiment with exposure, reducing it by one or two stops until the silhouettes are a deep black – this way, you will better understand the technique.
Kim is the Technique Editor of Digital Photographer Magazine. She specializes in architecture, still life and product photography and has a Master's degree in Photography and Media with a distinction from the FH Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences in Germany. While studying, Kim came to the UK for an exchange term at the London College of Communication. She settled in the UK and began her career path by joining Future. Kim focuses on tutorials and creative techniques, and particularly enjoys interviewing inspiring photographers who concentrate on a range of fascinating subjects including women in photography, the climate crisis; the planet, its precious creatures and the environment.
