Learn to Love Shadows

My most recent post to the Outdoor Photographer Magazine blog, Learn to Love Shadows, discusses the use of shadows and shading to imply depth in two-dimensional art, including photographs. I illustrate the post with the image below, taken a few years back in the desert of Arizona. My fellow Dreamscapes blogger George Stocking took me to this place, a favorite of his (for obvious reasons). In March, the Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest comes to life, blooming with the full intensity of spring. This particular patch of desert is about as chaotic a place as you can imagine, chocked full of brittlebush, saguaro, ocotillo, scorpionweed, and other desert plants, making it very difficult to create a coherent composition. The strong backlighting of sunrise created shadows, which separated elements that would otherwise appear to merge together in flat light. My goal was to create a photograph with depth and life, capturing something of the dynamic feel of the moment when the light first starts to rake across the plains. Canon 5DII, 90mm, ISO 100, f/16, 1/8 second.

This image is also one of the photos in my most recent eBook, Play Fool to Catch Wise, a collection of some of my blog posts and articles over the past two years. For those who are new to my writings, this eBook is a perfect introduction to my humorous—and at times accidentally informative—style. Even long-time readers of my blog will find this eBook to be a useful consolidation of my most important essays, and a handy portable reference. New and old readers alike should find enjoyment in this eBook, presented with a gorgeous “aged scrapbook” layout. Play Fool to Catch Wise is a 102-page downloadable PDF eBook filled with informative text, stunning full-color images, and plenty of insights and inspiration. This book is newly designed to optimize viewing across multiple platforms including computer screens and iPads. At only $8, it costs about the same as dinner at a fast food restaurant, so it’s a bargain to boot. If you wish to purchase the book, you can use the shopping cart link below. Thanks!

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About Ian Plant (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.