The Shadow Effect : Creative Lighting, Posing, and Composition for Photographers

Photographers Know That They Must Use Highlight And Shadow To Create A Sense Of Dimension In Their Portraits, Sculpt Their Subject’s Features, And Add Palpable Mood In Their Images. However, Enterprising Photographers Know That These Uses Of Shadow Only Scratch The Surface When It Comes To Maximizing Their Portrait Effects. They Are Willing To Go To Surprising Lengths To Create Dramatic Shadow Patterns That Add Texture, A Sense Of Mystery, And Compositional Interest In Their Portraits. In This Beautifully Illustrated Book, Award-winning Photographer David Beckstead Showcases 180 Of His Most Powerful Images And Explains How Each Shadow Effect Was Created Using Commercial Lighting, Natural Light, Store-bought Modifiers, And Even Common Household Items. Armed With The Techniques Outlined In This Book, You Will Find A Host Of Creative Means To Introduce And Manipulate Shadow Patterns--both In The Studio And On Location--and Watch Your Creative Efforts And Profits Surge. CONTENTS 3 THE IMAGE GALLERY 3 A DIFFERENT APPROACH 8 PERFECT PATTERNS 11 BIG, BOLD LINES 14 ESTABLISHING MOOD 16 BEHIND THE VEIL 20 WHAT TO EMPHASIZE? 22 A VARIED APPROACH 24 THE SHADOWY FORM 27 ARCHITECTURAL LINES 30 LED LIGHTING 33 COLOR-BALANCED LIGHT 35 BLINDING LIGHT 37 TREES AND WALLS 38 TONAL SEPARATION 40 A SIMPLE COMB 42 ABOUT THE FACE 44 A FABRIC-STORE FIND 46 LEADING LINES 52 A CLEAN BACKGROUND 54 SPLIT LIGHTING 56 RIM LIGHTING 57 FOUND OBJECTS 58 FANTASTIC FABRIC 60 GOING TO A GOBO 62 SHADOW WINGS 64 AT THE DAY’S END 67 GROUP PORTRAITS 68 FOREGROUND SHADOWS 71 FENCING LESSONS 72 PALM FRONDS 76 BUILDING TRUST 78 FINESSING THE EFFECT 80 VARIATIONS 83 FOCUS ON THE GROOM 84 STRONG CONTRAST 86 HIGH CAMERA ANGLES 89 LOW CAMERA ANGLES 93 ON THE STREETS 94 PLAYTIME 99 OFF THE GRID 100 A BLANK CANVAS 102 TENACITY 104 THE ANGLE OF THE LIGHT 106 FRAMING THE SUBJECTS 108 SPOOKY AND SINISTER 110 PURE HOLLYWOOD 115 CHALLENGING EXPOSURES 118 WINDOW SHOPPING 120 FRESH IDEAS 121 A PERFECT SILHOUETTE 124 JUST FOR FUN 125 Index 126 A 126 B 126 C 126 D 126 E 126 F 126 G 126 H 126 L 126 M 127 O 127 P 127 R 127 S 127 T 127 U 127 V 127 W 127 "In this book, award-winning photographer David Beckstead shows you how to "play in the shadows" to design riveting, storytelling, moody images that will set your work apart from the competition and inspire you to push the boundaries of your creativity."-- Provided by publisher