light and dark

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

[hurworld]

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

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

[Marcie]

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

[lucy]

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/

[Holly { Soupatraveler }]

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/

[Katy]

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/

[Mrs. H]

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

[i.ikeda]

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/

[starrlife]

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/

[BlessedMess]

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)

[Anika]

Very pretty image

[kristin]

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

[Julie]

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

[melissa]

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

[Angie Willis]

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

[Beth]

Silos are my new favorite!

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

[Corinna]

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

[Lauren]

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

[brigid]

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

your photo here is so beautiful...

[Mirasol]

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/

[Bettina]

Wow, awesome photos... i need more work in this area, but here are a couple.. :)

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/

[Trude]

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/

[Kimberly]

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

[Misty]

Silhouette time is my most favorite time of day.

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

[Dotti]

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/

[Angela]

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

[Jessica]

Beautiful! I love silhouettes.

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

[Amber]

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/

[danielle]

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

[WorthIt!]

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/

[Suki]

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

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

[Jamie Solorio]

This picture is AMAZING! I am wishing it was mine!!! :)
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+5x7+%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/

[Tracy]

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/

[Marty Mason]

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

[Stefanie]

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

[Brenda]

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

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[Rachel Elizabeth]

Love it, so peaceful.

[Brenda]

This is my daughter and granddaughter ice skating

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

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