That light is the fundamental raw material of every photograph does not mean that you cannot achieve spectacular photos without it. In fact, the absence of light can cause much greater impact than you can imagine.
Shadows are often a resource widely used by photographers to play with silhouettes and shapes, to convey sensations or even to make them the protagonists of the photographs themselves. You just have to learn to work with them.
To do this, in today's article, I have prepared a large number of tips for you to turn your worst enemy, darkness , into a powerful ally.
Catching your shadow will no longer be a problem!
Don't let the shadows dominate you
THE SHADOWS AS AN ELEMENT OF COMPOSITION
Not all the elements you can use when composing your photographs must be bathed in light. You can also use the shadows as another element to consider when framing your photographs .
1. The shadows are an excellent guide to direct the view and attention of the spectators within the frame. Try to play with the patterns, lines and rhythms they draw to attract the eye and attract attention. Get the juice out of all the elements that can draw them in your photos.
Search the beat2. You can also arrange it as you would any other object in order to occupy a space that would otherwise be empty. Doing so will give your photographs more strength since by occupying that space, you will be able to balance “the visual weight” of your photographs. You can counteract the excessive weight generated by placing a person very close to the edge of the frame using the projection of its shadow in the opposite direction.
It occupies the empty space.3. Due to the great contrast that is generated between lights and shadows when the lighting is very hard, try to keep yourself simple so as not to distract the gaze from what you really want to show. Remove from your compositions all those elements that, instead of helping you to attract the attention of the spectators, end up dispersing it.
Stay simple4. In order to do it more effectively, pay close attention to the intensity and direction of the light. The intensity (hard or soft) and the direction (front, side, zenith, etc.) of the light will be responsible for adding more drama to your photographs, so you should not overlook them. The more lateral the light, the stronger the photograph will have. Taking your photographs very early in the morning or as the sun begins to fall (blue or golden hour) will guarantee you the best results.
5. Depending on how the light strikes the scene, the shapes that the shadows draw on it will vary. The harder the light, the greater definition (contrast) your shadows will have. Take advantage of this phenomenon to draw with darkness in the frame with how much element you cross: statues, buildings, people, bars, animals, etc. If you accompany a subject or object with its shadow, you will provide it with greater visual strength. Take advantage of the silhouettes !
Get the juice out of the silhouettes.6. And if you want to surprise everyone, try changing the perspective or even flipping a picture completely. A simple photograph of a subject with its shadow projected on the ground can cease to be just a photo, to become a great photograph, just by flipping it. Dare to rotate the images. The viewers will be surprised to see an image that is not presented in an "unnatural" way.
Give your photos a spin.
THE SHADOWS AS PROTAGONISTS
You can see the shadows as a direct consequence of the light, or you can see them as a great opportunity to work with new protagonists. Shadows can become your next great protagonist .
7. The shadows are an excellent means to “hide the protagonists ”. What do I mean? When drawing the silhouette of a certain subject or object, the shadows awaken in the viewer the need to deduce and imagine the motive that has drawn them. Hiding your protagonists in the shadows is a great way to keep the observer's attention within the frame for longer.
Hide the protagonist.8. Similarly, when the shadow of a subject or object is cast strangely or atypically, attention will be focused on it. Unusual phenomena such as flipping photos, or oddly shaped shadows tend to attract and direct their eyes to them.
9. If you fail to get the light to naturally affect your motives to draw the shadows you are trying to portray, do not despair, you can always resort to artificial light. There is no point in getting older while you wait for the sun to position itself in the exact place for your shot and less if you have an external focus or flash to give you a hand. You can use diffusers to concentrate or dissipate the light and if you do not have some on hand, do not worry, making them yourself is very simple . So you know, charge the batteries of your flash, reflector or flashlight and start drawing your own shadows yourself.
Draw your own shadows.10. Of course, whether with natural or artificial light, try not to fall into monotony. Shadows are a very fertile field for experimentation, so try to stay active and creative. Dare to innovate by changing the perspective, the angle of the shot or the intensity of the light so as to achieve unique results that leave everyone with their mouths open.
Break the monotony.11. You can also take advantage of the backlights and shadows they generate and capture them with your camera. In a backlight , the main protagonist is the shadow that is generated as a result of placing your protagonist between the light source and the camera that is going to portray it. Shadows and silhouettes go hand in hand, don't separate them.
Backlight shadows.
USE THE SHADOWS TO BOOST YOUR MESSAGES
As I mentioned before, you can use the shadows not only to draw in the frame but also to convey sensations and enhance the messages that your photographs implicitly carry.
12. The way in which you arrange the shadows in the frame and the direction of these will or will not express your photos. That is why you should evaluate all possible framing possibilities, so as to enhance the sensations they transmit.
The shadows and the direction of movement13. The contrast generated between lights and shadows is excellent to convey the sensation of texture of a given surface. Again, the more lateral the light that falls on said texture, the more relief it will have. Textured surfaces attract more attention than smooth surfaces, so if you cast a shadow on a textured surface, it will have a greater impact. Imagine a woman walking in high heels down a cobbled street: the texture of the floor can even convey the sensation of the creaking noise at each step.
Textures14. It is also possible that, thanks to the shadows, your photographs are sadder, melancholic or gloomy. How? The key is to know the qualities of light in the various circumstances where such feelings emerge: days overcast, fog, rain, etc . and in understanding how such light draws shadows in such circumstances. For example, on a foggy day the shadows will be very diffuse which will convey a more dreary feeling or on a sunny day, the rays of the sun going through a forest can give your photos more drama. Keep in mind that, the softer the light, the more diffuse the edges of the shadows will be and the harder, more defined.
Backlight in a forest.fifteen.If despite knowing and exploiting to the fullest the qualities of light in a given scene you are still not satisfied with the shadows you have achieved, you can always add a bit of drama by editing them on your computer. If the shadows of the photographs you have just taken are not dark enough, increase the contrast and reinforce the blacks and shadows in order to correct such a situation in post production. But remember that it is always important that you make a correct measurement and exposure of your photographs to maximize the quality of these, so I recommend that you use the “spot metering” mode in the area of ??greatest lighting, so as to maximize the contrast and Don't over expose the shot. If you have any questions about how to do it, don't worry, check out the following article: “Detailed Guide: How to Make a Correct Measurement and Exposure in Your Pictures ”.
16. Let your imagination fly and start drawing with shadows!
Let your imagination fly.
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