"the magical glow of edges"

Rim lighting or edge lighting is a dramatic lighting technique in photography where the main light source is positioned behind the subject, creating a thin, bright outline or "rim" of light around their edges. This technique separates the subject from the background, adding depth and dimension to the image. Rim lighting is particularly effective for silhouettes, portraits, and product photography, as it highlights the contours and shape of the subject while often leaving the front in shadow or illuminated by a softer fill light. The contrast between the bright outline and darker subject creates a striking visual effect that adds mood and interest to photographs.

• subject categories
  • portrait
  • product
  • landscape
  • cars
  • pets
  • glass, bottles
  • night
  • boubles
• light categories
  • hard versus lighting
  • low-key versus high-key  lighting
• light sources
  • sun
  • window light
  • stage light
  • LED
  • UV
  • edison bulbs
  • fiber optic lights
  • laser
  • off-camera flash: speedlight, strobe, flashgun
• light focus
  • edge light
  • hair light
  • halo light
  • contour light
• backgrounds
  • dark/blakc
  • bright sky
  • city
  • ...
• effects
  • bokeh
  • color gels
  • smoke
  • neon
• Tokens
  • pixar noir
  • rembrandt
  • tron / neon
  • magnetic resonance glitch style
  • glitched abstract liquid glitch style
  • metallic rainbow holography
  • luminous holographic reflection
  • holographic light split
  • spectral light bending
  • light charcoal smudging
  • soft graphite transfer
  • gentle smoke discoloration

Famous Photographer

• Joe McNally
• Annie Leibowitz