silhouette, profile, and more

[emily wong]

Could anyone explain the difference between sihouette and profile to me? And if the picture is taken behind a person, is there a word describing it? What about a picture taken just in front of a person? If there are even more related words, please analyze the difference among them. Great thanks!

Emily

[rewboss]

A profile is a picture of somebody's face taken from the side. A silhouette is an image with little or no detail in it, just black and white shapes. You often see silhouettes which are also profiles.

Here are some examples of profiles
Here is a picture of a skateboarder silhouetted against a sunset
Here are some silhouettes made out of paper which are also profiles (and if you're interested, read the history).

[Miner49'er]

In photography as in technical drawing the place where one stands looking at an object is called a viewpoint.
From this point one can take a picture with the front of the object facing the camera = Frontview.
With the back of the object facing the camera = Backview.
With a side of the object facing the camera = Sideview.
But when a sideview of a PERSON is shot by the camera we call it "A picture taken in PROFILE"

As for silhouette. This is just an outline of something, a drawing without any details in it.
So a silhouette of a profile is just the outline of the sideview of a face.
Probably painted in black and on a white background.

[Miner49'er]

Just too late