Seeing Shadow in a New Light

by Kelly

Shadow owes its birth to light.  John Gay

It's one of my favorite things about my old house...the way the light spills into my rooms.  Especially in the mornings. And I've probably taken a million pictures of it over the last several years.

It used to be, that when I shot these kinds of photos, I would always over-expose them a good bit or lift the shadows in post-processing.  As a light-seeker, I wanted to focus on the light.  I wanted my photograph to tell the story of the light.  And to that end, I thought that I could best tell the story of the light by diminishing the shadow.

But here lately... I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or because I have a little more life experience under my belt.  Or maybe it's because I am growing and evolving as a photographer...who knows.  At any rate, lately I find the shadows to be intriguing - I am learning to appreciate the mood and drama they lend to a photos - and so therefore I do not work to diminish their effect.  I am learning to see shadow differently.

On a histogram, shadow is not the absence of light, but it is at the opposite end of the spectrum from light.  Opposite derives from the word OPPONERE which means 'to set against'.  It has many meanings, but these I found to be of particular interest:

• opposing
• diametrically different
• contrasting
• conflicting

As I pondered shadow, light, and conflict, it all made sense.  Conflict happens when two opposing forces are set against one another...it is an important element in any good story.  Conflict creates drama and tension in story because it adds an element of doubt.  Conflict makes a story interesting, but it's also important in that is sets up the plot.  Conflict is the root of a story and and it conveys information and engages us in ways that words often cannot.

In Greek literature, the use of conflict as a narrative structure is known as AGON - the central contest - hero vs. villain.  And the hero's ennobling struggle against the protagonist is what they believed made a story worth reading.

Conflict makes a story worth reading.

In photography, shadow serves a similar function.  Shadow is set against the light and therefore creates conflict and tension in an image. There is drama and mystery in the unlit parts of a photo.   But doesn't shadow also tell us something about light? Because there would be no shadow without the light. By its very nature, shadow points to the light.

Shadow tells the story of the light.

I am learning to see shadow in a whole, new light (pun totally intended).   And as I begin to embrace shadow in my photography, I am also learning to appreciate the shadows in my life. I will always be a light-seeker..this is my passion and a guiding principle in my creative vision. But I will no longer avoid the shadowy areas of my life for fear of them. No...from now on, I will acknowledge shadow...I will use shadow...because I know it will point me in the direction of the light.

Until next time,

Kelly