Portrait Contest Week 39 Theme is: Silhouettes!

I’ve always enjoyed participating in the weekly Portrait Contest and this week (Week 39) I’m honored to partake as a judge. Special thanks to @jasonrussell for his tireless effort, hard work and dedication to the Photography community on Steemit. He is a true leader and we appreciate what he has put together.

The theme I’ve chosen is “Silhouettes”. Why?

The drama. The mood. The mystery. The simplicity. The beauty. The fun!

Defined: A Silhouette is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single color, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the whole is typically presented on a light background, usually white, or none at all.

I love the way a silhouette image tell a story through light, both the dark and bright areas. In a way, they leave a part of the image up to the viewer’s imagination.

Be sure to add Silhouettes in your outdoor photography routine. They work great with people, architecture, trees, mountains, wildlife and tons of other objects.

Here’s a silhouette image I’ve taken of a beautiful and very talented Harpist which has won an Award in the International Print Competition. It is titled “Pure Harmony”. (not in this portrait contest of course)

If it helps, here are some of the criteria I’ll be using to judge the images:

Impact, Storytelling, Creativity, Composition, Style, Lighting and Technical Excellence.

TIPS - If your subject is a person, make sure they are in profile! Otherwise the head is just a blob lacking details and features. In addition, make good use of negative space! (separate the limbs).

Looking forward to seeing all your great work!

-Glenn