The Digital Photo Experience

Image © Eddie Tapp

As a professional photographer, I sometimes look for the shadow before anything else especially when shooting a product or portrait. I’ve had clients ask me if I could get rid of the shadow. My first though is why didn’t I use a flash on camera, actually my first thought is “are you kidding…? Shadow creates depth, give an object shape, mood, and demands that you give your attention to the diffused highlights.” Okay, I guess that’s what the dodge tool is for in Photoshop. And in most every case, I’ve always supplied the client with no shadows at their request to find that they end up liking the shadow after all. Shadows create depth and dimension in an image and the means for the shadow doesn’t have to be dramatic. When you start to look for the shadow, you become more aware of the light quality.

Plan a day to go out and shoot nothing but shadows. I think you’ll find a real connection with Shadow images…

Image © Eddie Tapp