Here’s how:

1. Find a subject with clean, interesting outlines such as the spire of a cathedral, a statue in the open or a tree with interesting branches.
2. Find a viewpoint where the background is plain, such as a blue sky: preferably, position yourself so you are on the shadow side of the subject.
3. For more advanced effects, try working with busier backgrounds such as leaves or grass but ensure that these are blurred (depth of field is limited) so they do not distract from the silhouette.
4. Use the bright sky to set your exposure: take a reading from a bright portion of the sky, hold the shutter button down half-way or hold the AEL (auto-exposure lock) button, and re-compose the image.
5. Experiment with the EV +/- (Exposure Value) settings to ensure the main subject is completely black.
6. You will get the best silhouette results if you're shooting towards the sun (see example over).

Hints and tips:

• Focus accurately and with sufficient depth of field to encompass the subject without bringing unwanted detail in focus: blurred outlines will spoil the silhouette.
• Blue skies and other coloured backgrounds give superior results to a blank cloudy sky. But skies with interesting clouds can give brilliant results.