Lithophanes
An old bit of art
Lithophanes have existed since at least 1827. They deal with the play of light through an object. They may appear unrecognizable when front-lit, but the magic occurs when light is applied from behind.
Take this for example, it doesn’t appear like much yet. This is because, in order to have dark areas, the material must be thicker. This leads to the dark areas being closer to you. Turn on the backlight and …
Both images were shot at the same ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Look at the detail that was obscured in the front-lit version.
Let’s look at another before moving on to some that give away more of their secrets.
This one gives away what it is about
You can see the three dimensions (this was one of my stock photo retouches designed to show off the muscles). The front-lit view clearly shows off the definition.
This next pair makes it easy to see the subject but still show a dramatic change when lit from behind.
Clearly you can see the cannon because it is much darker than everything else.
Lithophanes are their own art form, which adds mystery to what they truly are, without the proper backlight. They can be in color or bring new life to a black and white image. No matter what art you create, a lithophane may be something to add to your catalog.