How do I expose for a siloette?

Blind Bruce · Mar 28, 2016

I have a person standing in front of a picture window during the daylight hours. The window is covered by white sheer pleated drapes. I want the person to be almost dark. No flash of course but how do I ser up my D7200 for this type of shot?

480sparky · Mar 28, 2016

Set your Exposure Compensation to -2 and try that. You may have to increase or decrease it after you check the result.

astroNikon · Mar 28, 2016

You can also experiment with the EFFECTS - Silhouette mode
Try that, look at the settings then experiment in Manual.
pg 45 in your manual

I used to use the EFFECTS (or SCENE mode on my d7000 & other models) many times to learn how to do certain scenes. Then repeat it in Manual and experiment.

KmH · Mar 28, 2016

Better yet, though it may take some time and effort, acquire an understanding of how to use light for making photographs, as opposed to relying on software in and out of the camera.
That's what photography is mostly about anyway- controlling and recording light.

john.margetts · Mar 28, 2016

Set the exposure without the person in the frame, them move them into the frame without changing the exposure (this will require manual exposure for the final shot).

wfooshee · Mar 28, 2016

If there are light-colored surfaces in the room (white walls, etc.) that will reflect light onto the subject, you may want to find some way to block that reflected light. The darker the subject, the better.

beachrat · Mar 28, 2016

KmH said:
Better yet, though it may take some time and effort, acquire an understanding of how to use light for making photographs, as opposed to relying on software in and out of the camera.
That's what photography is mostly about anyway- controlling and recording light.

Now you're just making stuff up.

For real,just expose for the ambient light,and fire away.
You'll probably wind up with a silhouette doing just that.

Watchful · Mar 28, 2016

Make some test shots changing only one variable at a time, you'll find what works, and then understand why it worked a lot better than just doing what someone says will work.
The beauty of digital is you can do as much shooting as you like for virtually no extra cost. When I was learning to take double exposures in the camera and rewinding 7/8 of a turn to realign the film manually, it cost a lot to learn how things work.
A lot of people will just tell you how to do it, I like to tell you how to learn it. I am a parent you know, and I figure if my kids can learn how to learn they are unstoppable.