contre-jour

[ kon-truh-zhoor; French kawntruh-zhoor ]

adjective

(of a photograph) taken with the camera pointed more or less in the direction of the principal light source or with the strongest light behind the subject.

Origin of contre-jour

1920–25; <French, equivalent to contrecounter- + jour daylight, day; see journey

Words Nearby contre-jour

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use contre-jour in a sentence

But before you attempt the human figure in the open air, you will find it very good study to work in the house contre jour.
The Painter in Oil | Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst
Look at Millet's "Shepherdess Spinning," at the head of this chapter, as an example of contre jour.
The Painter in Oil | Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst
The effect of a figure out-doors has many of the qualities of contre jour.
The Painter in Oil | Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst

British Dictionary definitions for contre-jour

contre-jour

/ (ˈkɒntrəˌʒʊə) /

noun

photog
- the technique of taking photographs into the light, with the light source behind the subject
- (as modifier): a contre-jour shot

Origin of contre-jour

C20: from French, literally: against day(light)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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