استغلال الظلال لدعم توجهاتنا الفنية .. مجلة فن التصوير اللبنانية _ ع٣٧

**Ali Abbass** · 03-04-2023, 10:59 PM

Exploiting shadows to support our artistic directions

The shadows that some photographers view on the grounds that they are just “darkness” that is not suitable for photography can be exploited for shots that go beyond what can be achieved in their absence. Simplified methods that we present here can support our artistic approaches. ...

As long as photography is based on making images with the help of light. The absence of light - that is, the presence of shadows - plays an important role in this process, and if it were not for the shadows, the world would appear to be a place that lacks much realism, because it is the shadows that give a sense of depth and shape and give rise to the three-dimensional feature in the things that we see around us. Photography, by its nature, is limited to a two-dimensional plane, and therefore it needs shadows to give an impression of the missing third dimension.

We often need a photograph to alert us that defects are present. The reason for this is that the eye focuses on subjects of interest such as the person’s face, while ignoring the light and shadow. Normal exposure Shadows tend to appear darker in photographs than they are in reality, but it may happen to the photograph that it displays a prominent shadow that you did not notice when pressing the shutter, so it is necessary during photography to pay attention to the shadows and their effect on the subject.

The actual alertness of light and shadow - the way light falls on something and what that creates through it is not a natural function of the eye. In fact, our ordinary viewing experience can hinder us rather than help us when it comes time to read the differences between light and shadow.
For example, you may not notice the effect that light has. Which certainly casts light shadows on the surface of the page unless you're holding the station flat under perfectly even lighting.

The first step in exploiting shadows, then, is to try to strengthen awareness of shadows so that this becomes a habit. With practice, you will notice the presence of pleasant shadows that may form part of the content itself, and we can also avoid obstructive shadows that may spoil a good photograph.

When we get more accustomed to the shadows, we will notice that the nature of the shadow is always determined by nature. Fundamentally, there are two types of shadow-producing light - diffused and direct. Diffused light is that which comes from a cloudy sky. Where the light scattered around produces very light shadows or even no visible veils at all, and the lighting in these conditions is often described as weak (tut), which means that it does not emit noticeable shadows, which makes the subjects lack the sense of solidity and magnitude that shadows usually give. Photographers sometimes recreate these situations in the studio. When there is a need for illumination without shadows for technical or commercial reasons.
As for the light that falls on the opposite extreme - which is direct sunlight or direct light from a flash or a tungsten lamp - it produces harsh and sharp-edged shadows that conflict strongly with the illuminated area of the subject.
In this case, a wonderful formation of the subject or a great sense of its form is obtained. The great painters in the past were aware of the importance of using shadows. Thus, in the style known as Chinroscuro, they used areas of radiance and shading from one light source, usually to create a sense of depth and shape that closely resembles reality in Their paintings, but if the method is not adopted with a great deal of accuracy and care, the result turns into hollow sockets for the eyes and ugly shadows for the nose.

Shadows may at first seem to hinder photography more than they help. In fact, as we become more aware of shadows, we can begin to incorporate them into the content of the images. These will never appear as outrageous mistakes, but sometimes they will be able to direct attention to what you want, and they can become the main subject in our pictures. Clear, but we can deliberately include it in the image in pursuit of a dramatic effect. For example, we can present this shadow so that it poses a threat to the subject. On the other hand, we can use it to indicate our presence in a scene where the only alternative to it would be a traditional shot that we take with the camera on a tripod. Legs with the self-timer running in them.

One of the useful ways of working is to try to exploit the shadows of other people, making them the subject of our pictures, in the early morning and late afternoon. The shadows are on their origins, so if we want to experience recording distorted or exaggerated effects, these are the times of capture. We have to look around for a high viewing point - commercial centers in modern cities are often characterized by high balconies or staircases that provide us with preferred pick-up positions. The strongest and most positive as long as it is devoid of any details that may be hindering.

What is required, then, is to choose simple images with clear shapes that do not accumulate silhouette subjects. This will be more effective. They are the shadows of a boy and a kidney, for example, or a woman pulling a baby's stroller, or a tennis player about to throw a ball...

They all give shapes that are interesting, clear, and suitable for experimentation. There are also shadows of non-living things that are characterized by well-defined shapes - a drinking glass, a car bell, a flower or a plant - and these things can be moved around if this is possible, until you get the picture that we want this and we can prepare Our own images with shadows superimposed on real-life backgrounds - the shadow of a person smoking a cigarette, for example, in front of a no smoking sign -

**Ali Abbass** · 03-04-2023, 11:00 PM

In addition to using shadows as the main subject, we have to think about including something as part of the composition, but we should be careful as long as the shadows in the background can divert the eye from the main subject. Additional attention and care in choosing the angle of the camera and the location of the subject in relation to the light source, the shadows of the background can be used to add something to the main subject, for example, the view of three quarters of a face.
It may be improved by inserting the shadow of the profile of this face, which is drawn on the wall at the back. Shades of tree leaves or a window curtain can also give some tenderness and sperm on some special topics.
As for the strong guiding shadows, they can play a major role in the field of content design if they are used as an element of balance or dimensions. We look for shadows for people, buildings, trees or special plants that extend over a space in our images, so we help either to emphasize this space, or to divide it into spaces Separately, we finally point out that the strong deviant lines produced by such shadows can be integrated into the content to make a strong abstract image.

As soon as we are aware of the possibilities of abstract content through the viewfinder, we will find that we have the freedom to achieve images that have nothing to do with the subject that it depicts, or that have a simple relationship with it only. The normal fence covered by climbing plants, for example, when seen at a certain time of the day in the early morning or late afternoon.
He can produce a shadow that almost does not resemble the real form at all.
But it produces an exciting, fun and abstract image at the same time.
Although many shadows can be used as representations of recognizable objects, no matter how distorted they may be, there are circumstances in which shadows do not take a certain shape.
This often occurs with low-angle enlightenment.

With the sun descending to a low location in the sky, the effect of the shadow becomes increasingly strong on a landscape, for example. Thus, the normal landscape at noon can be transformed into a different one in the late afternoon using
Shaded systems to achieve this are thus built objects in particular benefit from the formation produced by direct solar radiation coming from a fairly low place in the sky.
This is either in the early morning or late afternoon. It is a light that produces shadows that capture structural details. For this reason, we find architectural photographers avoid taking a picture in conditions of a sky covered with clouds and there are no shadows in it, and they know that the results will come without effect.
And it's not nearly as fun with the yellow stuff. Artificial lighting can be used to search for the desired formation, but with the many scales outside, the only thing that can be done is to wait for the weather to change.

This and shadow areas are useful when photographing a subject in which a quantity of accumulated foreground details may be difficult to avoid. An example of this is the desire to photograph a newly constructed skyscraper, but there is a direct foreground area filled with the remnants of building materials and tools, such as old wood and other waste. We have to choose a time of day when the building is illuminated by strong solar rays, but while the foreground falls under a deep shadow, this shadow will work effectively to absorb all the details, and if it were not for it, it would interfere to permeate the content that was formed with precision and care. Remember, in any case, to take an accurate exposure reading from the brightness area To avoid the details, in the shadows.
The other example, in a completely different location, might be a formal portrait session where you can control and adjust the lighting fixtures, but when we want to hide a potentially obstructive design on a dress or suit that our subject may be wearing - or you may want to mitigate the effect of strong graphics for wallpaper - here we plan to make the obstructive material covered with a shadow. Strong we can enter by masking the main light source.

This, apart from the use of the shadow as a mere element in the content may be of importance in itself.

The area that seems to be hidden by deep shadows, when revealed closely, can reveal nice, polished and beautifully camouflaged colors that are impossible to capture with direct light. To the shadow area, and adjust the exposure as required.

We will discover that those physical elements in the previous image have disappeared, to be replaced by a series of more subtle color gradations that will improve the facial image and make it more beautiful.
Just as the shadows are important in emitting certain emotions and feelings, they still have a fundamental and decisive role in the field of planning the form, and they can add excitement and drama to the content, if this is representative or abstract. We will find many interesting and amazing examples.

استغلال الظلال لدعم توجهاتنا الفنية .. مجلة فن التصوير اللبنانية _ ع٣٧

استغلال الظلال لدعم توجهاتنا الفنية .. مجلة فن التصوير اللبنانية _ ع٣٧

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