Silhouette
A subject shown as a dark, detail-free shape against something brighter, so the outline carries the whole image.
See it
What it is
A silhouette reduces the subject to a dark, readable shape against a brighter field. The interior carries little or no detail, so the outer contour has to do all the describing. It is usually made by backlighting the subject and exposing for the sky, window, doorway, or lit backdrop instead of for the subject.
Reach for it when gesture and outline say more than expression: a profile, a runner at sunset, a hand holding a recognizable object, or a group with clearly separated poses. Apple's iPod silhouette campaign made the formula unmistakable: black dancing figures, white earbuds, flat bright backgrounds.
Gotcha: shapes that touch merge. An arm against a torso disappears, two faces overlap into one blob, and dark hair against a dark tree loses its edge. Find a clean bright background, leave gaps between limbs and props, and protect the background exposure. Do not lift the subject shadows until clothing and facial detail creep back in.
Ask AI for it
Create a clean photographic silhouette using the expose-for-the-highlights technique: place the full-length subject against an unobstructed sunset sky, meter for the sky, and let the person fall to solid near-black with no facial or clothing detail. Turn the body to a clear profile, separate both arms from the torso, leave visible gaps between the legs, and keep trees or buildings from crossing the outline.