Using shadows to create simpler, more effective images

The presence of shadow is the absence of light, yet one cannot exist without the other. As photographers, creators, artists, we use shadows to shape form, to direct attention, to hide details or accentuate them. We work with it, fight it, argue with it and eventually embrace and befriend it. Here’s a short tale of how I, often failing sometimes successful photographer, arrived at conclusion shadows will become a big part of my photography.

Photographing streets would often create challenges I was not prepared for. My images were not coming out dramatic, nor engaging enough. Dull, everyday objects, streets, people not depicted in accordance with my vision. Something was wrong, something was off. And something had to be done.

Slowly, but steadily, as I would take more and more images, I started to realize I am naturally drawn to reduced compositions with rather fewer elements than more. This applies to what I point my camera at, but at the same time how I capture my image.

My journey to simpler yet more effective images had two stages: 1) fewer subjects in a frame; 2) fewer disturbing backgrounds. Now, achieving both is not always easy. Specifically when living in a very visually polluted city. Normally, I could either get one or the other.

“Please meet the shadows.”

How can one use shadows to achieve simpler, yet more effective images?

Hiding parts of the frame to limit the amount of detail

Streets are busy, full of people, motion, detail, ads, cars, trains and so on. This gives us tons of things to photograph, however from time to time we’d wish some of it wasn’t there. Guess what? You can hide it in the shadows! Build your composition so that the main subject is in the light and expose for it. If done correctly, anything in the shadow will become dark, less visible, if at all.

Direct attention and bring focus

With above in mind, shadows will help you to accentuate focus on your main subject. It will limit any distractions in the background or any other part of the frame. While viewing pictures, our eyes are naturally drawn to the brightest part of an image.

Create the mystery

Think about who will look at your images. What will they feel? If you hide something from them, it will lead to people wondering about what goes on in the picture. Shadows help a great deal. Use it to hide part of the scene, hide the subject in it, position the shadow so that the viewer is forced to imagine what goes on. Let the imagination do the rest.

Form silhouettes

Shooting against a bright backdrop with characters in shadows will create wonderful outlines of people — silhouettes. Expose for highlights and wait for someone to walk into your frame. As long as they are in the shadow, but against the bright section of the frame, it will create a nice silhouette.

Use them creatively

Have you ever shot a shadow of a person walking, without including the person in an image? You’d get a person’s shadow on the ground, but upside down. Ever tried rotating the image so the shadow is now up-right? Photograph a shadow and flip the image to see if it becomes more impactful. Or maybe photograph during sunset, where the shadows are very long. Get them on the wall, but don’t include an actual person. Combine it with a gesture or perhaps with an interesting piece of architecture. There are no limits.

When should you shoot shadows?

You know that time of day when the sun is up and your shutter speed goes to like 1/4000s? This is the shadow photographer’s best time to shoot. You can also opt for early mornings or just before sunsets when the shadows are long and dramatic. End of the day, but the sun is gone? Even better! You can now shoot silhouettes in front of any source of light. Think backlit banners, store windows, lamps in parks, etc…

Finally, some exposure tips on capturing shadows

I’ll keep this one simple. Expose for highlights. My go-to technique is to lock in my exposure by using AE-lock. Once I know my composition, I’d first point my camera to the brightest part of the scene and lock in the exposure settings (AE-lock, usually found on the back of the camera). While holding the AE-lock, I recompose and wait for the right time to shoot. This way I get an image exposed for highlights, so detail is preserved there. In shadows, everything is black, or very dark at least. This way I get rich, strong shadows or silhouettes in my images. If necessary, I finalize the image in post.

Do you have any specific way of capturing shadows? How do you use them to tell stories? What is your most creative shot using shadows? Thanks so much for reading!

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