Photographing silouettes? How to?

[TonyHetherington]

Hi all

Doing some more model photography next week and really fancy doing some silouettes. Am I right in thinking that the best way is;

white sheet background
bright lighting onto white sheet from sides
no lighting forward of model

like this...



Is that right?

[Fidgits]

its so very wrong.


you look nothing like Brad Pitt

HTH

[TonyHetherington]

Brad who?

[poah]

Fidgits said:

its so very wrong.


you look nothing like Brad Pitt

HTH

brad pitt is standing behind him

[_dobbo_]

I'd guess the light source needs to be directly behind the model for this to work - rather than pointing at the white screen - unless you can get the screen very very bright.

edit - I suppose if you meter for the white screen and then underexpose it might work. my brain isn't working very well today though.

Edited by _dobbo_ on Friday 14th September 12:23

[Famous Graham]

Or strong light behind the screen. Might need to diffuse it a bit if the screen isn't able to.

[TonyHetherington]

That's what I was thinking dobbo - expose for the bright white screen and then the model will be severely under exposed (not least because there will be no forward light) so the shot could work that way.

I hadn't considered moving the light to behind the cloth but not a bad idea; I use juts a big white sheet so light will go through it no probs.

If the extension leads get that far, I see no reason why not!

Thanks people

[EmmaP]

Also make sure that your model is sufficiently far away from lights to not get light spill onto her.

[finnyuk]

Move the model further forward away from the lights, as with the white background being used it will reflect, so the further away the better.

Then when playin in photoshop you can darken up the silhouette to look like this...



The other way is in the black area where you have a light pointing towards you with the model between blocking the light. make sure to position yourself right to hide the light. and no light on the model. I also used a net curtain in this photo.