The Shadow Photographer

I like to use shadows as elements or subjects of a photograph.

This shot from Paris on a sunny Spring afternoon was made with the 5D Mk2 in Aperture Priority with the ISO at 640. The EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens was at 90mm. The exposure was 1/2500 @f/9 with 0 EC. I like the fact that the trees actually in the photograph don't make as much of an impression as the shadows of trees off camera to the left. I also really like the lone apartment resident leaning on his railing to watch the masses go by.

Here are some shadows very familiar to those of us from the New Orleans area. I think shadows are sometimes nice because they define something familiar that isn't in the shot. For this one the 5D Mk2 was in the manual mode with the ISO at 400. The same lens was at 24mm. The exposure was 1/160 @ f/6 with 0 EC. Look closely and you'll see that the shadows of the Jackson Square fence are pointing at a visually impaired man entering the St. Louis Cathedral.

Here's Gary Brown, New Orleans musician and Gabbro Records artist, performing just for me, and the video shooter, Mark Moore and the agency rep, Erika Dutton for a shoot in the French Quarter. It's late enough on an October afternoon that Gary's shadow is longer than Gary. The day was bright enough that the shadow is well defined. It looks to me like a logo for New Orleans.

The 5D Mk2 was once again in the good ole' Av mode with the ISO this time at 250. Same lens at 24mm with exposure at 1/200 @f/10 and +.67 EC.

When I take my groups on my American Photo Safari tours through and around the French Quarter I suggest that they always look around for shots other than the first one that came to mind in a location. That includes elements that might not seem obvious at first but may add some interest to the photograph, like shadows.