Anderson McBain
As a child, I was amazed when my Mother taught us how to form shadows mostly of animals and other creatures on the walls. This worked best when the power went out and we lit candles. It was a fun game to play in the dark and it helped us to pass the time until the power was turned back on.
A fist formed with two fingers held up behind it was a bunny’s head. The same two fingers pointing down was a stick man walking. Recently, I started to look at the shadows cast by subjects when I am making photos.
In the main photo of this Blog, the metal walls or metal work on this walkway bridge, cast shadows that form perfectly arranged patterns on the ground. The lines add interest and depth to the photo because if the floor was plain it would just be a concrete walkway.
This photo made me start to look at other photos I may have taken that cast similar shadows. Here are just a few.
In this photo, this representative, dressed in traditional wear at a Regional Festival strikes a pose, and her umbrella casts a shadow on the ground just in front of her.
The irony is that when I am taking shots I try to eliminate the shadows so it was difficult to find these three shots. The shadows are often marked down in your presentation however, I find it interesting and you can use what is deemed negative to add a dual focal point in your photo.
Hope you catch some nice shadows in your photos and feel free to leave a comment or two.