MomShots

The current weekly assignment at Digital Photography School is called Contre-Jour.  That is a term I had not previously heard.  Wikipedia says it is French for “Against the light”.  I take this to mean that the subject in a photo is backlit.  This means that the subject is lit from behind or the light source is in the background, not the foreground.  This offers a contrast between the subject and the light.  It can be a dramatic contrast or a more subtle contrast.

I am not sure how well the above photo of Gar’s curly head fits that description.  I think it does to an extent, but maybe if there was a greater contrast between Gar and the background it would be better.  Anyway, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and enter this into the weekly assignment.

I think these two above fit the description of Contre-Jour as well.  The fish tank one is open to interpretation as there is obvious light in the foreground, lighting Gar’s shirt, but I think the main light is coming from the fish tank and you can really see the contrast between the light (fish tank) and the subject (Gar).

The other one, the sunset on the road is definitely Contre-Jour but it’s not as fun as a photo that has a kid in it.  I just wanted to show another example and this is the next best one I had.

Have you stepped out of your photographic comfort zone lately?  

I challenge you to experiment with taking a Contre-Jour shot.  You might have a lot of fun playing with the light and the foreground.  Let me know what you find.