Good Shadow, Bad Shadow

Greetings, friends!

I had this lucky encounter today. Generally, I like animals posing on a background providing good contrast. Within range for a relatively sharp shot. But, as with people, this is not all we need in wildlife photography, too. The same rules apply. The same overrules overrule them all. And in the darkness...bind them...anyway, I just got carried away to Mordor again. For those who come from another dimension, Mordor is an imaginary land in J.R.R.Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings book. Which I quoted above, after a certain phrase appeared at random.

Random...random...what was I going to say?

Ah, yes. Random things can ruin or make your shots. Or at least add to ruining or making your shot. And by random, I mean things we don't usually (and by we, I mean those other people out there who are not deep into photography and its principles) take into account.

Like Shadows.

Shadows are quite neutral, actually. They do less than sitting there. Somebody else does the sitting for them so they are as passive as possible. Tricky!

Because they are so passive, that the untrained eye would often not see them at all. While taking a photograph. And they are quite essential to photography. Still, photography has become so accessible, so widely practiced on a daily basis, so automated, that the hidden value or harm shadows can do to the picture...remain hidden. Until noticed by people with experience. And once you see an ugly shadow in a picture, you cannot unsee it.

But here's a fresh and quite easy to grasp example of how shadow can ruin or make a photo. Well, to my opinion. Which is distorted by practice and...by my own mind.

Here's this dude or dudette, hanging on a branch, looking in the wrong direction. Wrong for me. Why? Well-lit butt, face, and front hidden in shadow. Butt in the highlights of the show. The important thing. highlighted. The butt.

Come on! Turn around, dude/dudette!

There! Much better!

So, sunny days are nice but they are dangerous for your photographs. If you don't pay attention to the shadows, I will. And then I will probably see your nose casting shadows through your lips and all the way to your collar bone or chest. Same for your ears. I don't like it. I don't like it so much that you may see me squinting at you while I am just talking to you face to face with no intention of taking photos of you altogether.

What can I do?

Take care and see you around!

Yours,

Manol