Creating Silhouettes with Light in Food Photography
This weekend, I decided to try something new, by lighting glass from behind. However, because I don't have all the proper equipment, in order to reduce the light so that it wasn't so intense, I needed to double diffuse it. When I did this, I discovered the way photographers create silhouettes with light.
Light and silhouettes is something I have long been fascinated with.
Creating shapes with the background light, it is just a beautiful effect. And now that I have managed to do it myself, I just had to share it with you. You don't have to use my exact technique. In fact, I am sure that other photographers probably do it very differently. However, with minimal equipment, and beginner's equipment as well, you can create silhouettes very easily. That is what I want to share.
Items needed
Two diffusers, or some other material that allows light through. At least one of them must have a distinct shape to it.
Let's look at this shot of olives and olive oil.
This was a double diffused shot being lit from behind. However, no shape can be seen through it. This is because the second diffuser is evenly centered, so you never know there is a second shape behind the glass. This is important to note, because just double diffusing isn't going to get you that silhouette.
Now, let's look at this pear. Here, you can see a beautiful silhouette of a circle.
Or part of a circle, anyway. But how did I do it? Easy. I took my smaller, circular diffuser and placed it at a lower height and somewhat off-center position. This meant that:
Only part of the background would be double diffused.
The rim of the diffuser, the part that didn't let light through, blocked the light in the shape of the circle.
double diffused photo setup
You see, this is the key to creating shaped silhouettes with the light.
You need to place something between the light and the subject that can still let light through, but not all of it. Let's examine this a bit more closely. Once again, we will look at the pear. Notice the big red square. This is the large diffuser placed directly behind the subject. The light is pointing at it from behind. And it has only one layer of diffusion. Now, look at the blue shape. This is where I have placed the second diffuser. You can see the clear shape of it, and you can see light is still getting through. But, because it has a double layer of diffusion, that extra thickness dims the light with the exact shape I have placed in front it it. Now look at the yellow circle. This is directly where the light is pointing at. So, it is extra strong right there, even though it is still going through two materials. Additionally, I have a white bounce card right next to the pear so that I can bring in a little more light behind the pear. Lastly, let's look at the reflective surface, via the green oval. Do you notice how part of the surface is darker than the other? This is naturally created in the same way the backdrop lets in the light. You can see how the black surface is slightly at a curve where it changes levels of light intensity. That is the circular diffuser doing its work. One quick note that I want to make. While I did light from the back to create the silhouette, I also had a light placed at a 45-degree angle directly on the pear. If I had not done that, then the pair would have been totally in shadow.
Well, there you have it!
You can create fun shapes, shadows, and silhouettes with light by lighting from behind with different types of diffusion material!
Onto the homework!
Take a photo lighting from the back and using double diffusion to create a silhouette. Then, post it on Instagram and tag @elizabethdworkinphotography and @masterfoodphotography with the hashtag, #doublediffusionchallenge. This way, I can be sure to comment on it, provide feedback, and share it in my stories with the IG world! Happy shooting!