The Shadow Affect

A while back I started looking for interesting images where the shadow the subject created was the main focus of the image.  This self-assigned project was designed to help me learn how to see and understand light better.  In order to get the shadow portion of the image just right, I had to learn how to place the subject so that the light falling on the subject created the most interesting shadow.  This taught me quite a bit about directional light.

In creating images using shadows it is important to know a few things about sunlight.  The longest shadows are cast during the early morning (just after sunrise) or late evening (just before sunset) hours.  The closer you are to mid-day, the shorter your shadows will be.  

Where the shadow will fall also depends on where the subject is placed in relation to the sun.  Do you want the shadow to fall behind your subject?  Then the sun should be in front of your subject.  Do you like the look of the shadow just off to one side? Then you need to be sure the sun is positioned to either side of your subject.  It's all pretty common sense stuff that we tend to take for granted.  Until you stop to think about it, you really don't begin to actually "see" the shadows around you.

Below are some of my favorite shadow images.  I'll provide a brief "recipe" of the shot below each image.

This was my very first shadow image.  It wasn't my goal to "make" this image, I just saw it while taking this little girl's portrait and had to capture it.  Admittedly, this image is a bit "Hallmarky", but I love how it speaks to this girl "being a girl".

The direction of the sunlight is coming in straight from the girl's left side causing the shadow to fall to her right.

This next image was meant to tell a story.  I wanted the shadow to "say it all".  I kept the family in the image, but cropped it down so that their faces did not show.  The shadow says "family" without even having to show the family.  I love how the football and soccer ball on the ground in front of them hints at the fact that there are little boys in this family and speaks to their interests - adding to the story.

The image was taken late in the evening just before sunset.  Notice how much longer the shadow lines are at this time of day.  The sunlight is positioned directly behind the family which causes the shadow to stretch toward the front of the image.  Since I was using a fixed lens, I had to climb a ladder in order to get all of the long shadows to fit in the image.

This image above was obviously staged.  I placed my son's toys in our entry way with the light coming in from above and behind the toys toward their left side.  See how the shadow tilts a little to their right? What I want you to notice here is that although the animals are not touching, their shadow makes it appear as though they are (Nice kiss, huh?).  The image was made at 1:00 p.m., so again, the shadow is quite short.

Okay, so I like little girls with flowers.  This is my daughter while on our mid-morning walk.  The sunlight is behind her to the left side.  This causes a longer angled shadow falling just in front of her.  The image would be precious (to this mother, anyway) without the shadow affect. What the shadow adds (to me, anyway) is a sense of lightness and movement that screams girlie, youthful energy.

This image was staged as well.  Like the family holding hands, I wanted the shadow in this image to tell the whole story.  The sunlight is coming from above toward the left side of my son.  It casts a shadow falling to the right of the image.  This was taken at noon.  

One trick I used to help the shadows stand out in many of these images was to open the files in Bridge Camera Raw and add Blacks and Contrast to the images.  This caused the shadow to really stand out. Just be careful to adjust the Exposure accordingly.

So where does all this talk about shadows come in to play in portrait photography?  When doing close-ups it is important to keep in mind that the sun can leave unattractive shadows on your client's face.  This is why open shade is often recommended.  Think about it.  If the harsh sun is directly above your client, you will most likely see shadows under the eyes, nose, and chin.  If the harsh sunlight is to one side or the other, you will usually notice shadows to either side of the nose  - distorting the nose and making it appear longer.  

Shadows are not all bad, though.  You can use shadows to add dramatic lighting to your images.  Just by knowing how to identify the light and where and how to place your subject, you can change a 1-1 lighting ratio portrait into a 1-4 lighting ratio portrait.  Understanding the light (and it's shadows) you are working with gives you so many more creative options.  No longer are you tied to open shade - IF you know what you are doing.

Mostly, I just want you to see how using shadows can add to the creative aspect of your images.  Use it to your advantage to add punch and interest.  Keep its affects in mind to avoid possible flaws.  Mostly, study it.  Learning to SEE the shadows in images will teach you so much about how to use and manipulate the light around you to your creative advantage.