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PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
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Photography Tip #14: SHADOW-PLAY! Shadows Can Be Your Friend! |
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Palm trees, white sand, deep blue sky, azure water...Ahhh!!! Just imagine yourself there on a tropical beach during your upcoming vacation or...better still...forget the vacation - you're living in paradise. What a dream! The above tri-panelled "triptych" (three images that share some commonality, shown together) says it all, doesn't it?
What a nice thought! But when it comes to the visual imagery, try to imagine the photos in the triptych sans-shadow; that is, without the shadows. If you're a visual thinker, you likely get the message. The shadows are such an integral part of these images, as well as of the collection as a whole, that without them the scenery and overall message is far less interesting than what you see above.
Shadows can be a photographer's nemesis (as discussed in the previous Tip #13), but they can also inspire a photographer and provide yet another way to express visual ideas creatively! Regardless how much you may long for a beach and like to gaze endlessly at palm trees in front of a backdrop of sand and se, the shadows cast by the palm trees above are, in fact, far more interesting than the trees themselves.
These shadows take on new life as they become skewed, as if they were purposely painted on the sand by an artist. For this reason, we decided to omit the tops of the trees alltogether, thus focusing attention on the shadow art.
Dark shadows splashed across someone's face don't exactly make for excellent portraiture, but as you can see above, they can be used to your creative advantage and best of all...they're free! Consider how a shadow can compliment your focal point or even become the focal point of an image.
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In temperate climates, the arrival of autumn and winter ushers-in a lower position for the sun, which relates to longer and more interesting shadows. If you live in the south, wake earlier or wait until evening as the sun is closer to the horizon. Think of playful ways to make the shadow interact with or point to your focal point. Look at the photos to the right and see how the shadows play with the subjects, add to the overall feel and even become the main focal point or subject iself. Another way of looking at the value of shadows is when they are less distinct; their purpose in this case is to shade certain areas of a scene, thus introducing increased dimension and depth. Shadow in general can be used to show texture, as angled light bounces off the tops of the "hills" that make-up the surface of a rough object. The lack of light in the "valleys" are thus filled with shadow, creating the feel of deep texture. Yet another way to appreciate the value of shadow in your photographic pursuits is to understand and capitalize on the role it can play in producing silhouettes. Silhouettes can be symbolic, as in the image to the right; imagine that this family's outstretched arms were viewed from the opposite angle, with the sun illuminating the subjects. This would bring light and color to the people and their arms, but it's likely that the symbolic "peace" sign would go unnoticed. Silhouettes are pure shadows, accented by sharp and well-defined edges created by bright "back" light behind the object that creates the silhouette. Another wonderful thing about shadows is when they emphasize rhythm by portraying patterns or, as in the case here, patterns that are skewed or distorted.
These shapes and patterns might normally not be noticed, but something new is featured and celebrated because of the photographer's eye and creativity! |
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Think outside the box and learn to PLAY with SHADOWS!
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Please report any misuse, sale or plagiarism of this material here OR E-MAIL US AT: CONTACT@FREEPHOTOCOURSE.COM