Sensational silhouettes

Camera: Canon 1D Mark III, 300mm f2.8 USM lens, ISO: 100, Aperture f3.2, Shutter speed: 1/640

As the sun begins to rise or disappear over the horizon, the sky’s intensify and the foregrounds begins to darken. Objects often end up as silhouettes against a dramatic sky, these particular shots are often very successful, with ‘point and shoots’ as the camera’s light meter takes the average light.

Some things to remember when using a SLR camera

  • I like to keep a low ISO value as ultimately with a silhouette you want a saturated image. Choose anything between 50 and 200.
  • If possible use a tripod, that way you will be able to stabilise a low ISO. If you getting shake, increase your ISO.
  • When looking at your images of sunsets you will more than often be despondent with the average colours. One of my favourite techniques is when you lower your exposure to -2 on a Canon and -1 on Nikon. Reducing the light will more often than not produce a far more vivid sunset image. Play around and see what works best for you with each image.
  • Keep the subject and foreground simple for the best effect, include limited horizon and remember the rule of thirds.
  • While using a shallow f3.2 aperture, remember to focus on the subject and not the background sky.
  • A general rule is to take your exposure off the brightest part of the sky, that way the subject will be pitch black.