Street Photography Silhouettes in Tokyo

Nov 26

Silhouettes in Tokyo

I recognize that some perceive silhouettes as clichés associated with beginners or lazy street photographers. However, I've included silhouettes in my list of favourite street photography images. That said, I regard street photography silhouettes similarly to any technique: they're valuable to know, and mastering them can be even more beneficial because you never know when the ideal opportunity will arise on the streets.

For a long time, I have been street shooting in Tokyo, particularly when the light is high contrast. Aside from the occasional cloudy or rainy day, bright sunlight and long shadows dominate the scene.

As a professional photographer, I learned quickly to embrace what is right in front of you. Make it work; use the light you have to your advantage.

Below are two simple shadow-based silhouette street photographs, one in Shibuya and the other in Kawaguchi. Both images have a strong silhouette, achieved by exposing for the scene highlights and geometric shapes in the background. The geometric shapes provide much-needed texture and form to the image; more importantly, they allow the silhouette to carry most of the weight, as well as give a natural frame for the subject.

The images are simple, straightforward, and yet still pleasing to look at.

The following two images go further by including silhouette and shadow. Image one, shot through a phone booth, shows the subject in silhouette as well as the shadow it casts. The high-contrast light puts parts of the phone booth in silhouette, providing the geometric shape illustrated in the previous images. In this image, the subject is framed by the phone booth more than the light.

The following Image begins to straddle the line between silhouette and shadow. This is done by using a slow shutter speed. The bright highlights can freeze part of the subject, while the shadows and slower shutter speed give motion to the rest of the subject. The shoe and ankle seem frozen in time while the body is in motion

The initial three images are reserved yet very appealing; the third image starts to venture into interesting territory. While it could benefit from further development, it is beginning to convey a sense of originality.

The concluding image does not merely represent a silhouette; rather, it manifests as a monolithic presence. This particular image elicits an emotional response akin to that provoked by the preceding four images. It possesses a distinct shape, characterized by high contrast between light and shadow. The subject transcends the confines of a mere silhouette, exhibiting intricate details and residing fully within the shadowy aspects of the image, yet it still conveys a semblance of a silhouette.