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Shadow Shooters by Russ Burden Shadows make for a excellent compositional tool to add to your photographic arsenal.  Follow these tips from Russ Burden and you'll be sure to create some great shadow pictures. Article rating: 8.82

A shadow is the result of the direct relationship between the location of a subject and its position relative to the direction of the light. Most think of a shadow as being formed by strong sidelight. This is the circumstance most commonly photographed. But strong shadow images can be made when a subject is top lit. What comes to mind are circumstances such as walking underneath a boardwalk in the middle of the day, an old broken down slotted roof with shadows cast on the floor or walls, or aerial perspectives of birds or other flighted subjects blanketing their shadows on the ground. The stronger the light, the deeper the shadow. It stands to reason that the best shadow images using the sun as a light source are made on cloudless, pollution, and haze free days.

© 2007 Russ Burden

Shadows make great anchor points and compositional elements. In fact, if the shadow is to be the focus of the image, it should be the primary element of the composition. The introduction of a shadow into the framing of a photo immediately adds a dimension of creativity and makes an image more graphic. It adds depth and dimension to a photo giving our two dimensional images a third dimension. It allows us to think we can reach into the photo and touch what appears in the foreground. This is powerful stuff.

© 2007 Russ Burden

Treat a shadow with as much respect as you do the primary subject. As I mentioned earlier, it may even be the primary subject. Use the Rule of Thirds when deciding where the shadow should be placed in the frame. Bias your exposure so the shadow density is rich and dark. Be careful to not underexpose too much or else you’ll muddy up the other tones in the photo. Use Levels or Curves in Photoshop and work just the shadows to deepen the blacks. Additionally, be careful you don’t blow out the bright areas on the highlighted side of the subject that creates the shadow. If you’re a slide shooter, I suggest you bracket. It’s better to be able to make an exposure decision when the images are spread out on a light box than to go back to do it again. If the sun is your light source, work early or late in the day as sidelight tends to produce the best shadows with warm light. If you intend to work with studio lights, position them and use the modeling lights to preview the shadow’s intensity and distance. The next time you’re out in the field, if you’re not already a shadow shooter, take note of them and work them into your compositions.

© 2007 Russ Burden

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.

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