How to Use Shadows in Pictures

Light is one of the most important elements of any picture. However, the absence of light, a shadow, can have an equally dramatic effect in pictures. Learning to look for and create shadows in your pictures can turn otherwise uninteresting pictures into masterpieces.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Look for shadows in the winter. Shadows are longest in the winter when the sun is low. Take a walk in the late afternoon in the winter and keep an eye out for interesting shadows. Anytime of year, the hours just before sunset are the best time for shadows.

2. Use shadows to show depth in pictures. Shadows turn a flat, two-dimensional picture into a three-dimensional picture. Capture a shadow in front of your subject to show depth.

3. Place your subject in a dark room and shine light onto an interesting detail of the object. The contrast of light and shadows create a dramatic effect.

4. Create shadows by placing a light source to the side of your subject. For natural light, position your subject beside a window with direct sunlight coming in.

5. Make shadows the focus of a picture. Sometimes the shadow of an object makes a better subject than the object itself.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch for your own shadow in your picture when the light source is behind you. Keep an eye on your camera's picture preview to make sure your shadow is not getting into the picture. An outline of a photographer ruins a good picture. To avoid getting your own shadow in the picture, back up or kneel down and tilt the camera up to your subject.