Photographers tend to pay a lot of attention to light. In
fact, we often think of light as one of the most important aspects of
photography. On the other hand, shadows may seem to be less important –
simply a lack of light. This would be a major mistake — for light is
nothing without shadows.
"Fallen Angel" captured by Jim K. (Click Image to See More From Jim K.)
Shadows are not simply a dark mass that borders the light. Rather,
shadows are an entity as alive as the light. It is the shadows that
shape the light, draw attention to the light, and integrate with the
light to produce striking photographic opportunities. If we are to reach
our full potential as photographers, we must think as much in terms of
mastering the shadows as we do of mastering the light. This article
details five uses of shadows in creating dynamic photos.
- Contrast and Drama
- Focus
- Directing the Attention
- Revealing Form
- Revealing Texture
Contrast and Drama
One of the most powerful uses of shadows is for the creation of
contrast to produce a dramatic effect. People’s attention is
automatically drawn to areas of high tonal contrast. However, tonal
contrast can not occur without shadows. Thus, it is the interplay of
light and shadows that creates the attention grabbing contrast. An
example of this use of shadows would be a dramatic sunset where the sun
punches through gaps in the clouds creating areas of light which are
surrounded by dark areas where the cloud cover is heavy.
"italianità" captured by aenimation (Click Image to See More From aenimation)
Focus
Shadows can be effectively used to focus a viewer’s attention. The
shadows help focus the viewer’s attention by removing detail from the
less important parts of the image. An example of this would be a
dramatic portrait that uses light to illuminate the eyes of the subject
but allows the rest of the face to fall into deep shadow. The shadow
would help to hide the detail of the face. Thus, the viewer’s attention
would be drawn to the eyes of the subject.
Directing the Attention
Shadows can be used to direct the viewer’s attention. This is because
shadows often have a shape. When a shaped shadow points to the center
of interest in a photo, the shadow will direct the viewer’s attention to
the center of interest. Conversely, the shadows can surround an area of
light that points to the center of interest. In either case, the photo
is strengthened as the center of interest is reinforced by the use of
shadow.
Revealing Form
One of the most common uses of shadows is for revealing form. This
often involves the sun, at a low angle to the horizon, casting long
shadows across the terrain. Any irregularities in the shape of the
subject or terrain will be magnified. An example of this use of shadow
would be a low sun casting long shadows across sand dunes just before
sunset.
Revealing Texture
Similar to revealing form, shadows can be used to reveal texture.
Again, this often involves the sun, at a low angle to the horizon,
casting shadows across the subject or terrain. The main difference is
that the photographer moves in close to emphasize the texture of an
object rather that the form. An example of using shadows to reveal
texture would be using setting sun to emphasize the ripples in the sand
of a beach.
"Walton-on-the-Naze" captured by Chris Petty (Click Image to See More From Chris Petty)
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