15 Stunning Photos That Will Make You Appreciate The Visual Appeal of Shadows in Photography

Ritesh Saini
Ritesh Saini

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Photography, as we all know, is about capturing light. And where there is light, there will be shadows. It is these shadows that add some wonderful characteristics to your photographs in the form of perspective and dimension.

The characteristics of light falling on the subject – direction, color, intensity of the light – determine the quality of the shadow. Shadows are often used to add drama and abstractness to an image, and also sometimes present an opportunity to use juxtaposition as a compositional tool.

This post is a collection of photographs that utilize shadows as an integral part of their composition. The photos most certainly wouldn’t be as amazing if not for the shadows captured within the frame.

If you’d like to gain a better understanding of light to be able to get the best out of the light (and the shadows) that you encounter, do take a look at Kent DuFault’s guide to understanding light. But for now, let’s sit back and enjoy these photographs!

Photo by Jonathan Kos-Read

Photo by Matthias Uhlig

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker

Photo by Thomas Leuthard

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Photo by isado

Looking for some help?

If you’d like to gain a better understanding of light to be able to get the best out of the light (and the shadows) that you encounter, do take a look at Kent DuFault’s guide to understanding light.

Photo by Gianni Dominici

Photo by Elliot Moore

Photo by Thomas Leuthard

Photo by XoMEoX

Photo by Magdalena Roeseler

Looking for some help?

If you’d like to gain a better understanding of light to be able to get the best out of the light (and the shadows) that you encounter, do take a look at Kent DuFault’s guide to understanding light.

Photo by Jason Devaun

Photo by Mo Riza

Photo by Jonathan Kos-Read

Photo by zeze57

Side note – If you’ve struggled to take advantage of light in your photography to the fullest and you want a complete, in-depth training to help you with that, take a look at Photzy’s best-selling guide Understanding Light, to produce great images by discovering the key concepts of light. Click here now to check it out.

Photo by Georgie Pauwels

Photo by sagesolar

Photo by Thomas Leuthard

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If you’ve struggled to take advantage of light in your photography to the fullest and you want a complete, in-depth training to help you with that, take a look at Photzy’s best-selling guide Understanding Light, to produce great images by discovering the key concepts of light.

You’ll get case-studies, how-to instruction. Plus it includes a free printable chart for your camera bag that outlines the psychological effect of colors to ensure you don’t forget when you’re out shooting.

If you missed out on your copy last time. It’s available again, and on sale right now.

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About Ritesh Saini

About Ritesh Saini

Ritesh has been photographing for about nine years now and his photographic interests have varied from nature and landscapes to street photography. He recommends Kent DuFault's best-selling guide, Understanding Light Book One to learn how to understand and control light.

Who is Photzy™ ?

Great question! Photzy.com is an online photography school with a focus on simple, practical tips and tutorials, for beginners.

Since 2012, we’ve grown to a small team of photography enthusiasts from all over the world, teaching over 200,000 students from 180 countries. No matter where your current skill level is, we’d like to help you explore your unique creative side, through photography!

“At Photzy, we believe EVERYONE is creative, and that photography is the best way to explore and share your creative side with the world.”