Creating Iconic One Light Silhouettes | Inside Fashion and Beauty Photography with Lindsay Adler

Sometimes the simplest of images can be the most elegant and timeless– it’s all about the details! Some of the most influential photographers of all time (Penn, Avedon, Watson, Ritts) created simple silhouettes that have become iconic images.

In this video, I show you how I create two different silhouette setups using a single strobe.

Setup 1:
In the first setup I use a V-flat World V-Flat and Profoto strobe on a floor stand pointed directly into the V-flat for a beautiful, wrapping light source. You can adjust the position of the flats as well as the angle of light to vary your effects/bounce.

Setup 2:
Place a 3x4ft softbox directly behind your subject. Be sure to use a softbox with double diffusion and place the center of the softbox (hot spot) behind the subject’s body. Use a silver reflector as needed to bounce more light onto the subject.

Remember, in both of these setups you may need to increase the contrast and clarity to create an extremely crisp result. I prefer black and white for this imagery because the color is not an important element of the frame, and stripping out the color leaves the key elements of shape, texture, and form remaining.

Interested in learning other silhouette tips? Check out this guide by 42 West:

• How to photograph a silhouette at the window

PRODUCTS USED:

• V-Flat World V-Flat
• Profoto D2
• Profoto 3x4ft Softbox
• Floor Stand
• Avenger C-Stand with Arm
• Profoto S/W Reflector
• Canon EOS R5
• Canon RF 70-200mm 2.8