Framed London photography prints and how to take silhouettes.

Many of my panoramic prints are taken at sunrise and sunset, which means the subject is often backlit by the sky. If I want the subject to appear as a silhouette, I’ll take a light reading from the brightest part of the scene—usually the sky—which ensures the subject is underexposed and therefore rendered into a clear silhouette. Often I bracket my exposures, taking three shots: one using the average light reading, a second exposing by one stop over to retain more shadow detail, and a third exposing by one stop under so the darkest elements remain strongly silhouetted.

You can see this panoramic here.

The print below was taken in the late afternoon; I metered the sky and reduced the exposure by one stop. This slight underexposure of the sky produced the starburst effect, while the City Hall building fell into a pleasing silhouette, exactly the mood I was aiming for.

Here it is in the London Black and white gallery.

Smoggy cities produce intriguing colour effects at sunrise and sunset. This sunset image of New York, captured on colour film, is particularly striking. Shot on Fuji Velvia 64 ISO, it shows very little grain and beautifully clean, smooth colours. The sunset’s warm tones are echoed on the water’s surface. Even when printed at a large size, this print remains wonderfully silky and refined

You can see this New York print here.

Silhouettes of city landscapes are particularly effective when printed in large sizes, creating a striking focal point. Many of the panoramics in the London panoramic section are silhouettes that work especially well at scale. Offices generally need one or two substantial prints within a set for standalone areas such as the reception space or a boardroom, where they can give the room presence and character. See the London Panoramics here.