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light and dark

December 9, 2010 By Alex Desouza

Lately I have been musing on the layering and juxtaposition of light and dark, both in my life and in my photographs. When the words fail and all the details are fuzzy, nothing better than a technique that calls for simplicity and focuses only on strong shapes.

How about some silhouette play today? Will you share your images of light and dark with me?

Comments

  1. hurworld says

    December 9, 2010 at 10:36 am

    I love silhouette photos. They leave so much unsaid, but enough for viewers to stretch their imagination.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/hurworld/4497845402/

  2. Marcie says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:40 am

    Yes..there is a moodiness about silhouettes and their simplicity:
    http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1381
    And something similar in the light and dark of reflections:
    http://marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=1385

  3. lucy says

    December 9, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    i've been shooting at dusk a lot lately — and i love the results. you shot is so lovely with an ethereal light that is so compelling.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucyloomis/5171682974/in/photostream/

  4. Holly { Soupatraveler } says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:04 pm

    I was just doing this the other day; sometimes you just have to showcase the world with a silo!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/soupatraveler/5243179508/

  5. Katy says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    I have yet to try silhouettes, but it is definitely something I want to do.

    This was my picture from yesterday, though, and I think it fits the bill in terms of contrasting dark and light:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/katyharmer/5245392759/

  6. Mrs. H says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    Absolutely beautiful photo! The light airiness of the sky with the contrast of the dark, grounded silhouette… gorgeous!
    I have a similar post floating around in my head… light/dark…life/photography… thanks for the motivation; I will work on getting that on "paper" today.

    Here's an image I posted a week or so ago of a silhouette.
    http://inquicksand.blogspot.com/2010/11/early-sunrise-color.html

  7. i.ikeda says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:52 pm

    Oh yes! I love moody, light vs dark photographs in all of their versions. Here's a few that I have that I really enjoy:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/iluskaikeda/5244544518/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/iluskaikeda/4688781424/in/set-72157624124700107/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/iluskaikeda/4791494538/in/set-72157623372821473/

  8. starrlife says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:54 pm

    Love the moodiness of it and the impression it leaves without the clutter of details.
    http://starrlife.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/light-and-dark/

  9. BlessedMess says

    December 9, 2010 at 1:58 pm

    I like that a silhouette allows the viewer to fill in the missing information. Sometimes I struggle with just how much to contrast the dark. When your subject is backlit you can go either way, whether it should be a solid black silhouette or show some detail….

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/12418609@N00/5246009213/

    (non silhouette version posted in the comments)

  10. Anika says

    December 9, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    Very pretty image

  11. kristin says

    December 9, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    just yesterday i shot this.
    wintry window shapes/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/14811117@N02/5244126924/

  12. Julie says

    December 9, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/26365955@N04/5040923407/

  13. melissa says

    December 9, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    absolutely stunning photo, alex. thank you for the inspiration. adore silhouettes. below are two recent ones i shared…

    http://bit.ly/hr3s8v

    http://bit.ly/hFjbgZ

  14. Angie Willis says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:18 pm

    Beautiful photograph. This one taken a couple of weeks ago of a burnt gorse bush
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/palomachaffinch/5234617917/

  15. Beth says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Silos are my new favorite!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/14632491@N07/5229149535/

  16. Corinna says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:32 pm

    Yay for silhouettes! Especially in this time of year when light is so hard to come by. I took this shot in a rush (from my car window!) on the way home the other night:
    http://www.birdwannawhistle.com/blog/2010/12/8/rush-hour.html
    And this shot I took yesterday. It's not a silhouette, but I think the way the frame is split between light and dark is what really makes it work:
    http://www.birdwannawhistle.com/blog/2010/12/9/space-and-rime.html

  17. Lauren says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:57 pm

    How about color and dark? http://www.flickr.com/photos/18572605@N02/5082036870/

  18. brigid says

    December 9, 2010 at 4:09 pm

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/5190147376/
    &
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/5212097929/

    your photo here is so beautiful…

  19. Mirasol says

    December 9, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    I love the photos that have been posted so far! I was just practicing this last week:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mespanola/5228054813/in/photostream/lightbox/

    And this is the same photo cropped down to the hummingbird:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/mespanola/5228051317/in/photostream/lightbox/

  20. Bettina says

    December 9, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    Wow, awesome photos… i need more work in this area, but here are a couple.. ๐Ÿ™‚

    The Pacific Ocean, just under the Golden Gate Bridge
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/5177390082/

    Sunrise from my front porch (2 different days)
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/5153428492/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/5083139092/

    A plane in the clouds
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettina2/5147795054/

  21. Trude says

    December 9, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Love that shot – so dreamy and the colors are gorgeous! I recently caught this while on my drive home (bad girl, I know), the sunset was just too gorgeous to ignore. http://www.flickr.com/photos/trudem/5225854734/

  22. Kimberly says

    December 9, 2010 at 5:23 pm

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/junebugphotography/5247043930/

  23. Misty says

    December 9, 2010 at 6:14 pm

    Silhouette time is my most favorite time of day.

    http://flic.kr/p/8EKvV7
    http://flic.kr/p/8BxXKk

  24. Dotti says

    December 9, 2010 at 6:30 pm

    Taken at dusk from the top of our ship in the Honolulu harbor last month, one of my first endeavors in nighttime photography. It's actually quite fun!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/48337138@N04/5246574515/

  25. Angela says

    December 9, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    I love this shot of my hubby eating Thai food on a summer picnic, as I tried hard to get that sunburst at the side of his head. He's dark skinned anyway, which lends itself well to silhouettes:

    http://angela-hemming.blogspot.com/2010/07/few-things-i-love-about-my-hubby.html

  26. Jessica says

    December 9, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    Beautiful! I love silhouettes.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/goaliej54/5197385936/in/set-72157624917129557/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/goaliej54/5176909529/in/set-72157624917129557/

  27. Amber says

    December 9, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    I love silhouettes, especially tree silhouettes in the fall and winter. It's the perfect time of year for that in Denver. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovemonkandmao/5239003020/

  28. danielle says

    December 9, 2010 at 7:06 pm

    i love experimenting with silhouettes!
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/23196640@N03/5236323009/in/set-72157625413103311/

  29. WorthIt! says

    December 9, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    Love the colors in your silhouette.

    Here's one I took while on vacation in Rome last year.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055227@N07/5246751429/

  30. Suki says

    December 9, 2010 at 8:22 pm

    Today I am amazed how well light and dark can play with each other.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/suki_fotografiert/5247102606/

  31. Jamie Solorio says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:33 pm

    This picture is AMAZING! I am wishing it was mine!!! ๐Ÿ™‚
    I so am in LOVE with silhouettes! Here are just a few I had handy. Thanks for looking!

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xi4hF64R9YY/TPHf75mKfYI/AAAAAAAAAgs/LAj46GaY6sU/s1600/DSC_0171_2852+37+5×7+%255Brint+cross+text+1.jpg

    http://jamie-solorio.blogspot.com/2010/07/silhouettes.html

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/49026977@N05/5240637132/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/49026977@N05/4981988816/in/set-72157624575360949/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/49026977@N05/4968681541/in/set-72157624575360949/

  32. Tracy says

    December 10, 2010 at 1:42 am

    such a lovely photo!
    here is a recent shot that I took of my friend doing yoga in the desert: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31417716@N00/5204333130/in/set-72157625422891144/

  33. Marty Mason says

    December 10, 2010 at 2:18 am

    A silhouette allows the viewer to wonder the mood….
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/38126168@N05/5033397766/

  34. Stefanie says

    December 10, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    Lovely. When words are absent. A photograph can tell a story.

  35. Brenda says

    December 10, 2010 at 11:53 pm

    Great pictures Here is mine on my blog
    http://goneridin2.blogspot.com/2010/12/ice-skating-at-zoo.html

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    December 22, 2010 at 7:04 am

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  37. Rachel Elizabeth says

    December 23, 2010 at 6:57 am

    Love it, so peaceful.

  38. Brenda says

    December 23, 2010 at 8:54 am

    This is my daughter and granddaughter ice skating

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/destin1/5285231134/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/destin1/5285231134/

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