1 Make fun silhouette art using everyday objects

Shoot some still-life photos of photogenic household appliances, then use them to create a composite masterpiece. Simeon Meinema shows how it’s done

Whether it’s a teapot, a toothbrush, an iron or a table lamp, we interact with dozens of household items every day. Their design is often underappreciated or overlooked, but lockdown has given us the time and space to view household items in a very different light – or in no light at all, as we’ll see.

Silhouettes are created when the background is brighter than a darker foreground subject; a silhouette emphasises the outline and shape of the object in question. Take your daily exercise at sunrise or sunset, and you will see this effect in the natural world, when the outline of trees or buildings are emphasised by the rising or setting light from the sun.

In this project I’ll show you how to create silhouettes, then combine them to create a fun, playful composite that is easy to design and assemble. To get started, first search around your home for household items with specific and interesting shapes. Don’t go too big with your choice of object, though, as your home photo studio is likely to be a confined space. Look for small- to medium-sized items, and think about which objects could go well together in the final composite.

This project will work with any lighting equipment you have available; whether it’s a softbox or an external flash, the setup can be achieved using a minimum of camera kit.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Digital camera with standard-view lens; tripod Off-camera flash, or studio lighting if you have it Household objects that will photograph well Image-editing software Time: one hour (shooting); one hour (editing)