Ka Leo O Hawaii: UHM College Newspaper

Silhouettes are always fun to make.  The dictionary defines “silhouette” as an “image in which only the outline shape of a dark subject appears against a lighter background.” This word came from Etienne de Silhouette, the Minister of Finance in France way back in 1759. He cut out portraits of people from black paper and pasted them on light-colored backgrounds.  Here, at Kakaako Waterfront Park, this fisherman was silouetted by the setting sun.  You can see the light slightly washing over him.

Usually, the bright sky serves as the background for silhouette shots (as in the two pictures above). You can also use water backgrounds, shaded subjects against atmospheric backgrounds like haze, fog and smoke, and sunlit backgrounds (as in the picture above demonstrates.)