Contre-jour (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
for "against
daylight
Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunligh ...
") is a
photographic technique
Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...
in which the
camera is pointing directly toward a
source of light and an equivalent technique of
painting.
Description
Before its use in photography, contre-jour was used in painting, 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 effect 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
Glare (derived from GLAss REinforced laminate ) is a fiber metal laminate (FML) composed of several very thin layers of metal (usually aluminum) interspersed with layers of S-2 glass-fiber ''pre-preg'', bonded together with a matrix such as epo ...
behind the subject.
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.
See also
*
High-dynamic-range imaging
References
External links
*
*
{{photography subject
Photographic techniques