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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Contra Jour discussion thread
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05/05/2021 07:34:52 AM · #1
Ok -- This is one that would seem to benefit with an early discussion.

How do you define it?

The last challenge had a number of silhouettes. Do you always need to have some definition in the subject to be Contre-Jour? Are silhouettes ever contre-jour?

Should you have just a bit of definition (almost silhouette) or was sjhuls photo with full fill flash contre-jour?

I hadn't heard of this term before my first contre-jour challenge. It was my first time stepping out of the box:



Was that contre-jour? Was it silhouette? Was it both?

This was another one of my contre-jour entries:



Does it fit the challenge?

These types of challenges are the times when it would be interesting to have the voting borken down into Art's voting. (meets the challenge, technical, artistic, etc. I don't want to vote that way, but it would be interesting to have check boxes, or something. :)
05/05/2021 08:28:46 AM · #2
Thanks Wendy! Good post.

Here's some info that may be helpful to this discussion.

Prior discussion in forum when it ran before. Not meant to usurp this conversation, just a reference.

From Wikipedia: (some photo examples there as well)
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Contre-jour (French for "against daylight") is a photographic technique in which the camera is pointing directly toward a source of light and an equivalent technique of painting. It was also used in paintings prior to its use in photography, where the shadows would fall to the left on the left, to the right on the right and forward in the lower centre. The edges of the subject would show surprising colour effects.

Contre-jour produces backlighting of the subject. This effects usually hides details, causes a stronger contrast between light and dark, creates silhouettes and emphasizes lines and shapes. The Sun, or other light source, is often seen as either a bright spot or as a strong glare behind the subject.[1] Fill light may be used to illuminate the side of the subject facing toward the camera. The subject is generally considered silhouetted when there is a lighting ratio of 16:1 or more.[2]
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From Institute of Photography: (many examples and long technical discussion)
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However, while photographing into the light does present us with some challenging exposure issues, it also produces interesting qualities in our subject. Contre-jour is a technique that is useful for revealing strong, powerful shapes and lines in our subject, such as we associate with silhouette images where the outline of a person, tree or building, for example, against a bright sky is pronounced and obvious.

Contre-jour allows us to use the effect of strong backlighting to alter the appearance of our subject in an eye-catching way, which also uses high contrast conditions to develop mood and drama in our composition.

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On a personal note, this has always been one of my favorites that I've taken for a challenge.



05/05/2021 01:53:07 PM · #3
for me, contre jour means that the source of light is within the frame of the photograph. Very simple definition, and both of your examples qualify.
05/05/2021 02:09:40 PM · #4
Originally posted by posthumous:

for me, contre jour means that the source of light is within the frame of the photograph. Very simple definition, and both of your examples qualify.
Does not always work :). This photo has its main source of light within the frame and yet it is most certainly not contre jour
05/05/2021 02:47:08 PM · #5
Originally posted by LevT:

Originally posted by posthumous:

for me, contre jour means that the source of light is within the frame of the photograph. Very simple definition, and both of your examples qualify.
Does not always work :). This photo has its main source of light within the frame and yet it is most certainly not contre jour
it is for me. I'm a simple guy.
05/05/2021 04:01:36 PM · #6
I have an equally simple, but I think more correct definition: the main light source has to be behind the plane of the main subject, whether it is inside or outside the frame.
05/05/2021 04:06:02 PM · #7
For me the light source has to be within the frame AND do something with the shape of the subject (through contrast, shadows, etc) that a side or front light could not do.

Therefore in my view LevT's example does not fully qualify.
05/05/2021 04:08:01 PM · #8
Originally posted by LevT:

I have an equally simple, but I think more correct definition: the main light source has to be behind the plane of the main subject, whether it is inside or outside the frame.


On second thought, I agree, you are right, it does not have to be within the frame.
05/05/2021 07:51:49 PM · #9
Originally posted by LevT:

I have an equally simple, but I think more correct definition: the main light source has to be behind the plane of the main subject, whether it is inside or outside the frame.
any definition that requires a "subject" is endlessly complex.
05/05/2021 09:00:07 PM · #10
Originally posted by posthumous:

Originally posted by LevT:

I have an equally simple, but I think more correct definition: the main light source has to be behind the plane of the main subject, whether it is inside or outside the frame.
any definition that requires a "subject" is endlessly complex.


That's rather subjective :P
05/05/2021 10:35:24 PM · #11
Who has that “eating popcorn” emogie??

I was thinking we just did this with starburst BW...

This will be fun to watch! :).
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