How To Turn a Photo Into Silhouette for Free (iPhone & Android)

Silhouette photography adds a beautiful and mysterious effect to any photo, shifting the focus from the small details to the background while creating drama and contrast.

A silhouette maker like YouCam Perfect can help you get creative and transform the mood of your snaps with a silhouette effect.

Keep reading to learn how you can turn your photo into a silhouette with this best free silhouette maker!

How to Turn a Picture into a Silhouette In 4 Easy Steps

YouCam Perfect makes creating silhouette pictures simple. It only takes a few quick steps to get the silhouette pictures, here's how to turn a picture into a silhouette:

• Step 1. Download the Silhouette Maker
• Step 2. Auto Cut Out Photo
• Step 3. Add Photo Background
• Step 4. Turn Photo Into Silhouette

Step 1. Download the Silhouette Maker App

You can find YouCam Perfect for iOS or Android in the app store. The silhouette maker app is free to download and use!

In the YouCam Perfect app, you can find tons of aesthetic frames, backgrounds, templates, and other effects to enhance your photos, including cutouts to make silhouette pictures.

Step 2. Auto Cut-Out Photo and Remove Background

How to make a silhouette from a photo:

1. Scroll to find the Cutout option.
2. Turn on the AUTO AI and draw the area you want to cut out your portrait.
3. Use the Eraser to erase any empty areas or parts of the image you don’t want to cut out.
4. Adjust the brush size to cut out large areas at once or get the finer details of your photo.
5. Tap the checkmark to cut out your silhouette.

Make Slihouette from Photo

Step 3. Add Background to the Photo

You can use your photo from your gallery or browse YouCam Perfect’s Shutterstock collection. When you search for a background, consider how it will look combined with a silhouette. We suggest avoiding bright backgrounds.

The idea is to create contrast, but a background that’s too bright can make the final result look strange with too much contrast. Instead, choose a colorful background that will show off the difference between it and the black silhouette you’ll apply in the next step.

👉 Learn How to Remove & Change Photo Background

Step 4. Turn a Photo Into Silhouette

After you add the background you want, you’ll need to darken your portrait cutout. To get that mysterious element, tap on the subject and go to Adjust, where you’ll find all kinds of quality options.

Get the dark silhouette feature by using the sliders to adjust your exposure to -4.00, and brightness to -100. You can explore other parameters to get the perfect effect for your image!

💡 Bonus Tip: How to Make Black Silhouette from Photo

For those who want to turn their pictures into pure black silhouettes, here’s how to do it using YouCam Perfect:

Step 1: Cut Out Yourself from the Image

First, upload your image and use the Cutout tool in YouCam Perfect to crop yourself out.

The AI will automatically detect the main subject in the picture, making the process quick and requiring minimal editing skills.

Step 2: Adust Exposure & Brightness

Once you have a clean image of yourself, start adjusting the 'exposure,' 'brightness,' and 'contrast' to create a black silhouette.

You can find these features under Tools > Adjust. To add a white background, go to 'Background' and then 'Color' to select a white background, and that’s it!

Picture to Silhouette

Why Use YouCam Perfect to Create Silhouette Pictures

YouCam Perfect is the best silhouette maker app that lets you unleash your creativity with tons of editing tools. While other apps require extensive photo editing knowledge, this handy silhouette maker lets you make the same pro-level edits in just a few taps. 

The app’s AI technology identifies what you want to change and eliminates the need for manual photo edits.

Personalize your photos with aesthetic templates, draw your designs on your snaps, and use the Adjust tool to edit contrast, saturation, brightness, and enhance your photos.

You can use the app to create dreamy and mysterious silhouette edits and give your photos a whole new look using photos you already have.

Download YouCam Perfect to turn your photo into a silhouette to share with everyone!

Picture to Silhouette

6 Tips to Take a Silhouette Picture

If you just want to take silhouette pictures with just your phone or camera, here's what you can do:

#1 Look for a strong backlight

Position your subject in front of a bright light source, such as the sun or a lamp, to create a clear contrast between the subject and the background.

#2 Adjust exposure

Tap on the brightest part of the scene on your phone screen to adjust the exposure. This will ensure that the subject appears as a dark silhouette against the bright background.

#3 Focus on composition

Frame your shot to include interesting shapes and lines in the silhouette. Experiment with different angles and perspectives to create visually captivating compositions.

#4 Use the rule of thirds

Position the silhouette off-center within the frame to create a more dynamic and balanced composition.

#5 Take photos from a lower angle

By taking your shots at a lower angle, you get to capture a wider image that has a better contrast to your main object or model.

#6 Edit when neccessary

You can refine the silhouette if the result can be improved more. For instance, adjust the brightness, contrast, exposure, and shadows to make the subject pop more.

Silhouette Maker FAQs