42nd Street Photo’s Shadow Photography Tips

Shadows create some great photo opportunities. If you know how to use shadows in the right places you can make your photos stand out more. We are going to cover a few tips you can use to incorporate shadows in your photography, so get your camera ready!

Start out by looking for shadow patterns. Repetitive shadow patterns makes for a very artistic photograph. You can use the sun’s shadowing effect to capture snow, dew, and foliage. Shadows add contrast and depth to your images and can create contrast and intensity. Don’t run away from shadows, make the shadow the key element. Look for shadow projections across the ground or on the side of a building.

Timing is everything. Get up early and stay out late to capture the best shadows. Using long shadows produced by the low angle of the sun will lead the viewer’s eye across a certain path in the photograph. Shadows that angle in toward the camera are also great for catching attention and creating interest. Even at the height of the day when the sun is at its strongest you can find hard shadows. Hard shadows are created with a strong source of light. These are the type of shadows that can really make a statement in your photo.

The most common technique involving shadows is silhouettes. Silhouettes are not shadows, but are obtained when the main subject is underexposed against a bright background. Using Silhouettes is a great way to harness the power of shadows. Try using birds, people, buildings, shapes, flowers, trees, or whatever you can think of.

We hope these few tips of photographing shadows helps you out and be sure and check in soon for more great photography tips and reviews.