The real difference between the two is which way your camera is pointed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let me explain.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>According to Wikipedia:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A shadow<\/b> is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or a reverse projection of the object blocking the light.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Again, from Wikipedia, a silhouette is:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A silhouette is the image represented as a solid shape of a single color, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the whole is typically presented on a light background, usually white, or none at all.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n We are flexible with this in photography.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<\/i>Many photographers use the technique of photographing [subjects] against the light, to achieve an image in silhouette. The background light might be natural, such as a cloudy or open sky, mist or fog, sunset or an open doorway (a technique known as <\/i><\/b>contre-jour<\/i><\/b>), or it might be contrived in a studio; see <\/i><\/b>low-key lighting<\/i><\/b>. Silhouetting requires that the exposure be adjusted so that there is no detail (underexposure) within the desired silhouette element, and overexposure for the background to render it bright\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Note: You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always have to underexpose the desired silhouette element AND overexpose the background.<\/p>\n Now, for our purposes are are still going to call the image on the ground the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153shadow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, while recognizing that it is the whole volume that is the shadow.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>When you point the camera in the direction of the object that is blocked (even if the object is not visible), then it is a shadow.<\/p>\n When you point the camera at the object that is blocking the light, that is a silhouette.<\/p>\n With the shadow being the whole volume, then a three dimensional surface, such as cloud or fog, results in very interesting photos!<\/p>\n Or more simply, shooting where<\/i><\/b> the light is blocked is shadow, shooting what<\/i><\/b> the light is blocked by is silhouette.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get too tied up in the definitions.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>There is a lot of room around the edges here, and what we really want are good photos, not definitions!<\/p>\n How to take Shadow Photos<\/b><\/p>\n There really isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t too much difference from regular photograph.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Try to underexpose a little if the shadow isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t dark enough.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>You can select the shadow during post processing and darken it separately from the rest of the image if it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t dark enough.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Usually you want a sharp edge to the shadow if you are defining a subject by it.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Part of how a shadow looks is because of what it is project onto.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Here is a smooth surface.<\/p>\n It is a much less distinct edge to the shadow if the surface is rough or not flat.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Towels, fabric, vegetation, sand, any kind of texture will affect the way the shadow looks.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You can use shadows to tell a story.<\/p>\n You can tell these people are excited about something.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>This was on a boat out whale watching in Hawaii.<\/p>\n I am not sure what the story being told here is other than \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got a new lens!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n You can see here in the sand in the shadow gives it a little different look.<\/p>\n As you can see from this photo too, early and late in the day can be the best times for shadows.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>They are very long and prominent.<\/p>\n If you have more than one light source you will get multiple shados that can be interesting.<\/p>\n The shadows on a white surface can be theater if you watch them, always changing!<\/p>\n But be careful\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6these aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t shadows but terribly under exposed birds\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n If the shadow is a bit too light, you can, as mentioned before, select it and darken it, or you can sometimes darken the whole photo a bit with the levels control.<\/p>\n This can also enrich the colors some.<\/p>\n A selfie shadow by moonlight\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6a 30 second exposure.<\/p>\n Just because the subject is in the photo doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean we must accept it all\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n \n Or..<\/p>\n Then we have grand shadowscapes, like this these near sunset at the Grand Canyon.<\/p>\n Another aspect of shadows is how they affect the look of surfaces, like faces.<\/p>\n And of course that can rapidly get into studio and portrait work<\/p>\n and that is beyond this class!<\/p>\n We use shadows to enhance and add texture to natural settings.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Time of day and the weather can be very important to this.<\/p>\n And sometimes we just find a good set of shadows waiting for us.<\/p>\n Of course, we can use shadows to set a mood, too.<\/p>\n Then you run into something like this.<\/p>\n Which leads into using a scrim, or an old fence in this case.<\/p>\n And then you want to do something more exciting\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Or even:<\/p>\n Some of this is part of a style know as film-noire, and was used heavily in old gangster movies and such from the 30\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and 40\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s.<\/p>\n Always dark and brooding.<\/p>\n Almost always in black and white.<\/p>\n Lots of shadows and silhouettes.<\/p>\n While I won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go into how to light all those film sets, how did they get this?\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>It is actually very simple.<\/p>\n You place the subject against the backdrop, then set up a light with a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153scrim\u00e2\u20ac\u009d like this one to cast the desired shadow.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>I won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get into \u00e2\u20ac\u0153snoots\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153barn doors\u00e2\u20ac\u009d here.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>A scrim can be almost anything, it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be blinds like this.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>These previous photos were made with scrims on a light source.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dailylife.barrowroad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/sha01a.jpg\")
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