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The theme for June is now closed
The theme for July is ‘Shadows’
The last few Monthly Themes may not have been challenging enough for our members so this month’s theme of ‘Shadows’ gives you the opportunity to be more creative and let your imagination run riot. Photography is often defined as painting with light, but it’s the shadows that are so important. The give the object its form and depth. They create texture and contrast. They can be the main subject themselves. If you can’t get out you can also create your own shadows in a still life setup at home. If you use your own lights you’ll have full control over the length and shape of the shadows. This theme will help you look and find images more making you more observant. Shadows can also make excellent lead-in lines for a photograph or frame the main subject.
I’ve found some excellent examples at iphotography to inspire you here.
The ‘My Modern Met’ website give some excellent advice here.
To make it easier just resize your photograph as you would for a PDI competition. That is size it to fit in a 1600x1200px frame them it will neatly fit into the post. You have to type in some text first or the picture will fail to upload. Then click on the BROWSE button below to search your device for the picture. You can upload up to 4 images at a time. When you’ve finished uploading and adding your text press the SUBMIT button. See the illustration below for advice.
There’s no restriction on when the photograph was taken so search though your archives show us what you can produce. If you would like to suggest any topics for the monthly theme please let me know. Thank you to everyone who contributed to last months’ theme.
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Shadow theme.
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Lamp with Wall Shadow
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Forest Shadow.
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Window.
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Platform.
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Thank you so much for submitting these Tom. That’s a fine set of shadow images to discuss. They clearly show how important shadows are in photographs. I think they also illustrate how the shadows are a graphic element that are enhanced in monochrome. They do give your pictures texture and depth and perform an important part in the composition. If I had to choose a favourite, but don’t really like to, it would be ‘Lamp with Wall Shadow’ because I like the texture and atmosphere created. You’ve given quiet a variety of effects created by the shadows, patterns, texture, depth and contrast. I like the face at the window in the colour picture, but can’t make my mind up if I’d just taken the one window on the right or include both like you have done.
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Thanks Peter. Yes I agree with your proposed crop of the colour image.
I much prefer just the single window version for balance and that is my final
selection in my files. I submitted the two window version as the theme was Shadows
and there’s more shadow in that one!
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Shadows can create different types of photographs. This one is a simple silhouette. Then I found one where the shadow leads into the picture. In the final photo the shadow forms a pattern.
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I have dug deep into my archives to submit an image which just about scrapes into the “Shadows” concept.The original basic photo was selected as the LCPU photo of the month many years ago.To achieve the effect I have ( with my software) curled the original then pasted onto an image of sheet music.I think it would be fair to say–without the shadows of the original it would be lost.
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Thanks for submitting this Ken. I think it’s very clever and well thought out. The two images fit well together and you can almost hear the music. The only colour present is blue and I think it helps to separate the top image from the music sheet.
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Just has to be the 70s–up on Alderley Edge.
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Shadows on Alderley Edge way back in the 70s.
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It looks very cold! It clearly shows how important shadows are in showing texture in a photograph. They help to give a 2D object a 3D effect. Thanks for sharing Ken.
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Here’s an interesting and unusual effect caused by a low sun shining through a cloud of water droplets. It creates my shadow on a hill framed by a ‘rainbow’. It’s called a brocken spectre.
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I took the photo below at Styal Woods a couple of years ago. I liked the pattern created by the shadow and the backlit leafs. The clear water holds the picture together and I thought it summed up the peaceful atmosphere I felt at the time.
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Very nice–exactly why we take our camera and the pleasure of taking pictures like this.
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Thank you Ken. Pictures are memories and this one give me the feel good factor.
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Gawsworth and probably attracted in taking this photo much because of the shadows.A good choice of subject Peter.
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One of your classic infra-red photos Ken. I really like the effect and the way you’ve composed it. The shaded road makes a good lead in to the house and if it wasn’t for the dappled shadows it would be too bright. Thanks for posting.
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Thank you Peter.
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