Contre-Jour (no sunsets or sunrises, no logos)

I love peas, but I could never have envisaged peas looking this dramatic. I see lots of photos of flowers and other vegetation shot against a black background, but that is a perfect foil for the glow of the pods and the highlighting of the white fuzz that the back-lighting provides. Hardly pretty flowers, but a striking image nevertheless. Thanks for entering it in this competition.

This photo proves that you don't need all-singing and all-dancing SLRs and the like to achieve striking images. You just need an "eye" to recognise a good photo opportunity.. Obviously taken against the light, the graphic composition of the horizontal lines and differing textures is beautifully interrupted by the series of staccato upright fence posts. Also, the two silhouetted figures provide a strong focal point. I love this image, it's worthy of a place in my top ten, and thanks for entering it in the competition.

Of course, it's reminiscent of a Van Gogh painting, but that's what I like about it. It also fits the contra jour brief perfectly. No harsh shadows, just a delightfully colourful photo of sunflowers, shot using an ultra wide angle lens. Just the sort of photo that brings a smile to my face, so it makes my top ten. Thank you so much for entering it into my Contra Jour competition.

I've seen this photo before many times, but the familiarity that comes with repetition has not yet dulled the visual pleasure it gives. My congratulations in acquiring such a stunning shot. It has a full complement of tones from white to black, the composition is spot on too. It succeeds in evoking a real sense of the 1940s, and reminds us of all those brave RAF souls who gave their lives for their country during WWII. Thank you so much for entering it in my Contra Jour competition.

I love the graphic simplicity of this shot. It's simply stunning. Everything is right. The low horizon is perfectly level, the sky is muted to various shades of grey, and the subtle graduated blue of the sea. The effect is almost that of a duotone photo, but it's so much more than that - almost surreal. For my money, definitely in the top ten.. Thank you so much for entering it in my Contre Jour competition.

A super photo comprised of three separate bands: the sky, the sea and the rocks. But the band that really draws my attention is the sea; more especially the way the in-coming light penetrates the wind-scattered waves to give that lovely burst of green luminosity. This a real contra jour shot but without the drama of harsh shadows Deservedly a top ten hit, so thanks for entering it in this competition.

When I had the idea for this competition it was obvious that the theme would lend itself to monochrome photos. This fabulous shot taken in woodland has a monochrome feel, but it is in fact a colour photo. Either way it works, and I love it. It fits the brief exactly. The bright sun shining through the mist affords attractive aerial perspective and we see a superb photograph as a consequence. Excellent. Thanks for entering it in this competition.

Thank you so much for entering my Contre Jour competition. This photo has impact and I loved it as soon as I saw it. It fits the brief perfectly, ticks all the right boxes. The highlighted grassy mound and the old farm building are in stark contrast to the background, and this was well seen, well handled at the taking stage, and exploited to maximum advantage in processing. Well done.

This is a striking image and fits the brief ideally. Thank you so much for entering it in this competition. On first scan of the competition photos this one struck me. It is atmospheric and I love the attitude of the horses. There is no EXIF information provided, no detail offered, so I suspect it's a scanned print or 35mm slide. Nonetheless it's a superb photograph and worthy of commendation.

This is another brilliant example of a contra jour photo. A full range of tones makes the photo a pictorial triumph and I love it. One of the pitfalls of contra jour photography is the tendency to under-expose, especially if one relies on a camera's auto exposure settings. Here, the photographer seems to have gauged it just right, for the aerial perspective of the receding trees works to perfection. Very well done, and thank you so much for entering it in my Contre Jour competition.

Definitely a mere moment in time, superbly and fortuitously captured. A great example of a contra jour photo and perfectly exposed to provide detail in every part. You can almost feel the spray and the power of the wind. An action photo that's worthy of a top ten position in my view. Thank you so much for entering it in my Contre Jour competition