When I first started shooting street many years ago, I would often go out aimlessly without a focus or intention. This was great at the time because it allowed my mind to be free. I often captured special moments that were not planned or inhibited by my thoughts, expectations, and most of all— time. My MO was to simply feel the vibes of the street, people, and the scenery and just go with the flow.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve completely shifted away from that approach (mainly because I now have 2 young children). Spare time is a luxury. Right now, it’s ALL about going out with a clear, focused intention and goal in mind.
This month, my goal was to capture the dimensions of light and shadow on the street. I chose light and shadow as a challenge because I wanted to explore how dark shadows and harsh light evoke emotion in the image, for the viewer and even for me behind the lens. Some of my thoughts and images from this challenge are below.
“Lost in Thought” - by @tahaphoto - Shot at sunset, this meant longer shadows would exaggerate the feeling of even the smallest of gestures, in this case, his head looking down. I was also fortunate to be shooting into the light, creating a silhouette on the subject.
If you’re looking to create dramatic images, sunrise and/or sunset work best. The sun is at the lowest point in the sky at these times granting you longer shadows and warmer / softer light. I tend to pick locations with a lot of lines, shapes, windows, reflections, nooks and crannies. This way, the light finds a way to dance in and out of these pockets and cast playful shadows like this one of the car and buildings below.
“Streaks” - by @tahaphoto I waited patiently at this corner for a few minutes hoping that a unique moment would arise. I loved how the light was reflecting on the street and on the building at the top of the frame. The cyclist was already in motion but it was my hope that I would catch the cab as well. I also got lucky with two people coming out of the shadows in the distance.
“Failed Letters” - by @tahaphoto Light & Shadow in its most simplistic form. There’s something melancholy about the lettering and how the soft, warm sunlight hits it. The frame also made me feel for small businesses that have struggled to make it over the last few years.
Light and shadow examples are everywhere, but for this challenge I was particularly inspired by a few of history’s great street photographers. I was moved by the whimsical works of Alex Webb, the brilliant and ever-so-patient, Saul Leiter, and my personal favourite photographer, Vivian Maier. They are the masters of light and shadow. They were also quite methodical and disciplined about achieving the imagery they wanted to share with us. I have to warn you, once you view their works you may feel the need to seriously contemplate retiring from the artform! All jokes aside, studying their respective catalogues reminds me of how much I still have to learn about this beautiful photographic journey of mine.
Naturally, with more knowledge and new inspiration, it’s easy to see why I would want more from my visual storytelling. Recently and during this challenge, I actually felt a shift inside of me to create more interesting stories that move ME first. This means taking a step away from traditional street and gravitating towards more “street scenes” as my composition base. The freedom to be more abstract, less obvious with composition is very exciting to me at the moment. Here are a few examples of light and shadow below that I’ve created through this new lens and some from my previous work that I was happy to see capture this same sentiment.
This challenge and looking back on my work was fun and so needed, especially during these winter months. Sometimes a simple challenge like exploring light and shadow can give you perspective and get your creativity moving in the right direction.
What have you been focusing on as of late with your photography?
Peace.
t.