time for the stupid question.

[Christina]

Ok, i upgraded from a sony cybershot to a canon xt.
I really want to try sillouette photographs.

Now i know the best way to learn your camera is to play with it, love it, pet it, and READ THE MANUAL. but i cant seem to find what im looking for.
so here's the stupid question. is sillouettes a photo manipulation or a setting on my camera.

If you could kindly help, and its okay to say here's you answer silly girl.

i value everyones thoughts, this forum has helped me so much.

 

[lifeafter2am]

It would be more of a photo manipulation than anything. Unless you just took a picture of a sillouette. There is not specific setting for this type of photograph. :mrgreen:

 

[Mike_E]

You need a background that is two or three stops brighter than your subject and expose for that (use manual mode). This will cause your subject to be way under exposed and thus you have created a silhouette.

mike

 

[Christina]

You need a background that is two or three stops brighter than your subject and expose for that (use manual mode). This will cause your subject to be way under exposed and thus you have created a silhouette.

mike

so say if i was at the beach, face torward the sun?

 

[ANDS!]

There are no stupid questions - just stupid people answering them.

I'm not sure how good you're results are going to be out at the beach. If you could perhaps show what you're trying to get - that would help (the above posters comments were no doubt based on you controlling the background).

 

[Christina]

something like this


this was actually taken at the beach where i live by Mark Floyd, a very talented local photographer.

 

[ANDS!]

Just meter off the background (so that the camera takes the exposure reading off the lighted part of the scene, and leaves the background properly exposed), and recompose the shot around the couple, so that they are in focus.

 

[WDodd]

Its pretty simple to do if you have lighting that will support it.

Here is one that I did: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1133/740998131_b652e111bc_o.jpg

Just do what ANDS did and you should make it happen. Make sure you post the results too.

 

[lifeafter2am]

Wow! I was thinking of something totally different!!! I guess I should ask more questions before I open my mouth.... :blushing:

 

[ANDS!]

Theres probably a million ways to do a million things in photography - so don't be worried. WDodd's example is spot on (I like it better than the previous picture, simply because of the composition and seems like his is in better focus- I say his because WDodd's isnt very gender obvious), just a shame a beautiful woman is hidden from us. . ./sigh

 

[Garbz]

Actually the camera should naturally get this photo even in Program or Av modes with all else on default. It is just taking advantage of the fact that the background is so much lighter than the foreground. If all else fails flick it on Manual set the shutter speed very high, take a picture, check, correct, repeat. This will also give you a good feel for how light metres work.

 

[DSLR noob]

You got the XTi right? Put the camera on "P" mode. Set your metering to partial and custom function #4 to AE lock/focus lock and point the camera so that the bright thing you want in the photo (the sun, or horizone, or sky or w/e) is in the middle of the frame and push the shutter button halfway, the camera "locks in" the exposure to make this come out perfect, things not this bright will be darker (your subjects). Then, still holding the shutter halfway, recompose and push the * button to focus so the silouhuettes are sharp. Lastly, when everything is where you want it, push the shutter button from halfway to all the way down. If the background is bright enough compared to your subject, they will be dark and the background will be exposed perfectly.
Play around with it and print out these instructions. It will be a lot less complicated than it sounds when you're actually doing it.

 

[Christina]

I have the canon xt, but you guys have been very helpful, thank you. I'll make sure i post the results.

 

[DSLR noob]

Oh good, then follow those rules exactly, I have the XTi was just hoping the Xti wasn't too different but now I see it will be just the same.