Silhouettes are a fun technique to play with in your photography. They convey mood and emotion in a unique, dramatic way and because the lack of detail leaves a lot to the viewer’s imagination, silhouettes tend make it easier to picture yourself in the scene and feel like you’re really there. The key is lighting: the subject needs to be backlit (placed between the light source and the camera) so that the background remains well-lit while the subject is underexposed and very dark, if not entirely black.

Here are five beautiful photos featuring human silhouettes in nature, all submitted to our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. Feel free to use them as inspiration the next time you have your camera out and want to give silhouettes at try! The 2018 photo contest is closed but we’ll be revealing the winners soon so stay tuned!

© Glenn Rifkin

© Andrew Dai

© Rosemary Sampson

© Jack Leigh

© Melissa Asher