Silhouettes and shadows to add interest and drama to photographs, writes Izwan Ismail
THERE may be times you’ll find no more interesting subjects in your quest for photos, and this is especially true when you’ve captured a lot of stuff with your camera.
Many forget about creative elements that can help make beautiful photos, such as shadows and silhouettes. These two elements are sometimes overlooked because they are not colourful and need a trained eye to appreciate them. he best time to take photos of shadows and silhouettes is when the sun is low on the horizon in the evening or early morning. During this time, shadows will appear longer and silhouettes are also more distinguished.
The difference between shadows and silhouettes is that shadows have different and irregular shapes from the subject, while silhouettes are the dark shape and outline against a lighter background.
When you walk on the street, for example, in the evening or morning, try to look down for shadows, or when you are at a beach during sunset, look for people or other subjects against the sun. Remember, there will always be something to photograph.
Here are some shadows and silhouettes that I’d taken.
1. LONG SHADOWS: The lower the sun, the longer and more unique shadows you will get. I shot this at Sydney Harbour during sunset.
2. FLIP IT: With shadows you can be creative. I took this photo of people walking to work on a street in Madrid, and I’ve decided to flip it to give it a more unique look.
3. LUCKY SHOT: Sometimes you just happen to be at the right place and the right time. This upward shadow of part of the Golden Gate Bridge was taken in the late morning while I was cycling on the bridge.
4. PLANNED SHOT: After seeing a Nikon advertisement in the cinema, I decided to do a similar shot, combining shadows and silhouettes at a beach in Krabi. This needed some practice and a few shots to get the perfect “smile”.
5. AGAINST THE SUN: A silhouette of me admiring the beauty of Mt Fuji during sunset at Lake Kawaguchiko.