Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings — always darker, emptier and simpler.
― Friedrich Nietzsche
All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
This week’s photo challenge is “shadowed“, in which we are told:
Experimenting with shadows can be a fun and rewarding way to push yourself to try something new with your camera, your subject, and your surroundings. Shadows can also add depth and drama to an otherwise ordinary image.
I love shadows. I love sunlight too, but shadows bring other things. Mystery, for one, and on a hot day, respite.
They can also bring beauty to a picture, giving it depth and variety. I simply like the interplay of the dark and light, the patterns it makes, and the challenge of capturing what I see so that I can show it to everyone else later.
What I liked about the picture above was the beauty of the sunlight from the windows, the shadow of the window cross hatch on the wall, and the light reflecting up and down the wall behind me. Although some of the other effects were interesting, none caught that light flare as well as a simple processing did. While it’s not black and white, it did turn out nearly monochromatic, which brings its own beauty and highlights the sun on the wall.
Other photos that used shadows are:
Remarkable post! :star:
By the way, I nominated you for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award (pink version)
You can check out the nomination on this post
https://aquileana.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/%E2%96%BAgreek-mythology-the-nereids-fifty-sea-nymphs/
Best wishes, Aquileana :D
Thank you!
Beautiful photo, Nancy! And I had to laugh at what was included in the original image :) No one would have ever guessed that! Where was this, in a restroom? Great before and after fun, centered on capturing beautiful shadows.
Yep, it was the bathroom at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. That sunlight up on the wall just captivated me, but the rest of it was a bit hard to tolerate. So between cloning and cropping, I got a pretty good end result. I tried cloning the diaper deck, but the shading further up the wall was just different enough that it didn’t work.
I just love that you found photographic inspiration in a bathroom! 😉
My best selfies have been in bathrooms all over the place! This one was in the bathroom at home. I should go back and process it again and clone out the light switch on the wall!
https://livingtheseasons.com/2012/11/25/special-photo-challenge-inspiration/
Love the monochromatic look!
Thank you! I did too. It also hides that my sage green t-shirt pixelated slightly as I was working the picture, which is another plus.
I appreciate your pointing out the thermostat and smoke alarm…I might not have picked that up on my own…might be a fun blog post, what is the difference between these 2 photos. Really like the Topaz. Nice work.
Ha ha! That is a good post idea – what’s different in these pictures? They weren’t big, but I didn’t like them in there. Especially the diaper deck.
I’m glad you enjoyed the final picture.
Nice words and pictures
Thank you and thanks for visiting!
Ah….the shadows again. :) Love them. I love the result too.
Thanks Colleen!
Love your work and your words. I remember a photographer friend who always said look at the shadows! Unfortunately I do get them into my pictures when I don’t want them! This also applies to my reflection in the kettle, on glass and other shiny surfaces where I have accidentally become the subject…this used to happen in films a lot before digital enhancement!
I’ve had trouble with that too! Sometimes though it can be pretty hilarious, like me reflecting in this teapot. It was a picture that I took during a daily challenge. This picture was pretty uninspiring until I decided to play with processing it. That’s when I discovered my reflection in it!
https://livingtheseasons.com/2014/09/08/i-hate-chores/
Have an almost identical teapot and image! My sister was an actor and I remember seeing the whole film crew reflected in the puddle of water next to her while she was lying on the road in a scene where she was supposed to be having a very lonely death!
Love those, especially your end result photo.
Thanks Mary!