Allow Your Shadow in Your Photo Sometimes

Avard Woolaver, shadow, self portrait, backyard,
© Avard Woolaver

Allow Your Shadow in Your Photo Sometimes (Day 30 of 31)

Sometimes your shadow ends up in a photo by accident, but other times it’s not a mistake. Lee Friedlander was one of the first widely known photographers to make use of his shadow as a photographic element, and many people have done it since.

Why would you have your shadow in a photo? That’s one of the marks of a rank amateur, right up there with having your thumb over the lens.

Well, your shadow poking into the frame can convey a few different things. For one, it reinforces the truth that a photograph is not reality. No matter how much we’re capturing the truth of one moment, it’s still only a single moment, and it’s subject to the photographer’s point of view, conscious and unconscious biases, and frame of reference. So the photographer’s shadow in the picture operates at a very meta level, reminding the viewer that a human being held the camera.

A shadow can function as a graphic element, directing the viewer’s attention like a pointer or signpost toward something you want to emphasize in the frame. It can be used to add balance or resonance to your composition.

A third reason for letting your shadow be part of the picture is that sometimes there’s no way around it, if you want a particular shot. At certain times of day, in certain places, the only way you can include all the information you want in a photo is by letting that other piece of information—this is where the photographer was—be a part of it, as well.

And, fourth, it can add a touch of lightness or humour to your shot. A photo that’s not particularly witty or irreverent can take on those characteristics when you let your shadow fall into the frame.

As with many of our photographic efforts, what may initially seem like an egregious mistake may end up being something you like a lot. If you’ve never fooled around with including  shadows in the photos you take, it’s a fun thing to experiment with.

(For the month of October 2017, I’m participating in the 31 Days bloggers’ challenge. You can find out about it here, and check out the interesting work other bloggers are posting.)

4 Comments

  1. Jung had a dream in which he was battling against dense fog, with a tiny light in the cup of his hands and a gigantic black figure chasing after him. When he awoke he realized that the black figure was his own shadow, brought into being by the light that he was carrying: ‘…this light was my consciousness, the only light that I have. My own understanding is the sole treasure I possess, and the greatest.’

    October 30, 2017
    • avardw said:

      Only the shadow knows.

      October 30, 2017
  2. Kaya said:

    Day 30 of 31… It means you almost reached the end. I wish you will continue and continue with this Challenge. I enjoyed every post you wrote and I learned so much from you. I hope you will continue to share with us some of your photographic wisdom and insights.

    October 30, 2017
    • avardw said:

      Thank you, Kaya. I’m really glad you enjoyed the 31 Day Challenge posts. It was certainly a challenge for me to get them completed! I plan to continue with regular posts, though probably not daily. Cheers!

      October 30, 2017

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