Definition
A silhouette is, "the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible against a lighter background, especially in dim light." Silhouette photography is simply taking a picture of a silhouette. You would position your subject in front of a light source and then take a picture of the dark shape in front of the lighter background. In silhouette photography the photograph is backlit making the subject appear as a dark shape. Originally, in the eighteenth century, silhouettes were primarily used as portraits in the profile view. The name silhouette came from a French finance minister, Étienne de Silhouette because silhouettes were the cheapest way to record someones appearance. Silhouettes were also used in artwork and illustrations, shadow theater, and movies.
Examples
Ideas
- Friends jumping in the air
- Seniors holding up numbers that spell out 2015
- Brother swinging on a swing
- Friend playing his musical instrument
- Sister posing