Shadowy wave
Port Stanley, ON, September 2008
Shadows have always challenged my photography. They're rather difficult to expose properly: meter on the dark areas and you blow the highlights; meter on the highlights and you get dark, featureless shadows. It's a no-win situation made even worse by the fact that digital has even less dynamic range than film.
Doesn't mean I won't try, though. You don't learn by shooting what you already know. And in the age of digital, it's kinda fun filling up a big card, then replaying the experience in your mind as you review and edit the results back home.
As you've guessed, this week's Thematic Photographic theme is "shadow." As in past weeks, how you interpret the theme is entirely up to you. Feel free to be literal, figurative, abstract, or any combination thereof. TP is all about getting out there and enjoying the process of capturing the world around us. Are you in?
Your turn: Please share a shadow-themed photo or link on your own blog, then be sure to leave a comment here so other folks can find it. Here's the Cliff's Notes version of how Thematic Photographic works:
- Every Wednesday evening, at precisely 7 o'clock Eastern, I post a new Thematic Photographic entry.
- Each entry has a unique theme. This week's is...shadow.
- You post a similarly themed image over on your blog.
- You paste a link to your entry in a comment here.
- If you've already posted something that fits (on a blog, Facebook, MySpace, wherever) simply post the link to the existing entry. Old or new, all photos are welcome.
- You may post as many photos or links as you wish. For the next week, I'll be supporting this theme with a related picture/posting each day. I encourage you to do the same. This is all about sharing, so feel free to share to your heart's content!
- Please share this link with friends, too, and encourage them to join in. The more, the merrier.
- And please accept my thanks for your enthusiasm. Your participation has made TP a true highlight for me each and every week.
The other morning I took a photo of my shadow and it looks like an two-footed elephant! Ha...maybe I will have to post it for humor's sake!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fun theme. I do Shadow Shot Sunday. I'll have to see what I can find for your theme.
ReplyDeleteI like the theme this week. There are so many possibilities! The shadowy wave is beautiful. You can see my entries here.
ReplyDeleteShadows are very challenging for me. I attempted two silhouettes for this weeks theme. Love your shot, I have a HARD time capturing anything other than a person. I just don't have an "eye" for other things I guess.
ReplyDeleteTonya's Shadows
Shadows are very challenging for me. I attempted two silhouettes for this weeks theme. Love your shot, I have a HARD time capturing anything other than a person. I just don't have an "eye" for other things I guess.
ReplyDeleteTonya's Shadows
The light was just so... she was determined and not afraid of her own shadow...
ReplyDeletehttp://kirstensadvent.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post_04.html
Since I skipped last week, I'm happy to have some to share this week.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carmi. Your photo of the surf is intriguing. I take many photos of the water, but never thought of trying to capture a wave shadow.
I thought it was carpet fibers. That's some awesome shadow! For some reason, I can't get away from posting "camera phone" pics. Maybe I'll start a trend!
ReplyDeletehttp://allthistroublejusttoleaveacomment.blogspot.com/2008/12/difference-in-night-and-day.html
I'm using a picture I took recently. I liked it, but I really didn't know what to "do" with it. I think it works for the theme! My entry is here.
ReplyDeleteI love capturing shadows, especially if they make such beautiful patterns on the ground , like the one I posted:
ReplyDeletehttp://mummyjam.blogspot.com/2008/12/thematic-photographic-27-shadow.html
Hi, Carmi,
ReplyDeleteI finally thought of a photo I took at my son's a couple of years ago. It first the shadow theme. It's up.
I have a shadow up. Shadows in colors.
ReplyDeleteA shot from earlier this year, just breaking in a new camera for the office.
ReplyDeleteNice capture.
ReplyDeleteI have a real thing for shooting shadows, but I tend to prefer the dark featureless ones, using the shape of the shadow itself to create interest.
Like this one :).
I love shadows from a playful point of view, I still have to understand a dynamic range...
ReplyDeleteI have posted a couple of shadows from my archives.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
ReplyDeletehey ! I just published my interpretation of SHADOWS.
ReplyDeleteHere's my Shadow
You always find something that I would never even think about! How do you come up with your ideas? Always so intriguing.
Love your surf shadow. I have a watery one too. It's up on my blog now: http://bobbie-almostthere.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI enjoy how the water droplets are so visibly seen on this shot ;)
ReplyDeleteI love shadows so much I posted 13 of them :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, are you gonna tell us what this is, or do we have to guess? If it's one of those legendary Carmi macro shots (which you do so well), it could be just about anything. If it's an aerial shot (something else you've got a real talent for) I'd guess it's the shores of... well, some large body of water anyway.
ReplyDeleteEither way, it's intriguing. One of those shots you can stare at long enough to get lost in it.
Shadows do present their challenges, which I suppose is why we're always trying to eliminate them in shots we provide the lighting for. But whether you're shooting them on purpose or not, where would we be without them?
With all the craziness that's been going on the last few days, I haven't been able to get the kind of shadow shots I've been picturing in my head, so I was rummaging in the archives for something -- anything -- thta would fit the theme thta I could get a little excited about. And the irony is that for a long time I overlooked a shot I took just a couple of nights ago. And talk about a serious shadow! This one's as big as all outdoors... literally.
Thematic Photographic 27: "Shadow" v.1.0 - "Waxing Crescent"
I've posted my Shadow shot on:
ReplyDeletehttp://mamapippaphotography.skynetblogs.be/post/6498491/thematic-photographic-----shadow-----of-a-spo
Bye !
Interesting, the last couple of photos I posted just happen to fit this theme:
ReplyDeletehere and here.
I have others where shadow is important. As I've acquired more experience, I find that I expose for the highlights and let the shadows go black.
Mojo: OK, I'll fess up :)
ReplyDeletePort Stanley is a resort town on the north shore of Lake Erie, about 30-ish miles from our home in London. I got the shot by standing ankle-deep right where the waves - such as they are in a big lake - break on the beach.
I pointed down and watched the waves roll in to get a feel for them. I pre-metered and pre-focused because there was no way my camera could keep up with a fast-moving wall of water as it re-painted the scene from dark to bright in a blink of an eye.
Suprisingly, I didn't take too many pictures this way. It was a crowded day, and too many people were staring. I was afraid the longer I pushed it, the greater the likelihood of getting splashed.
Still, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I love situations where, for all the planning you do, you simply never know what you'll end up with until you get out of the sun and have a chance to review the results. It's that feeling of never-ending discovery that most jazzes me about this art form of ours.
Hi carmi,
ReplyDeleteyour post is highlighted by the stellar shot from port stanley, my second favourite spot to stop for coffee while biking.
Old enough to remember The Shadow?
No? You missed a good radio show.
cheers,
Gord H.
http://itstrikesmefunny.blogspot.com/2008/12/who-knows-who-walks-in-dead-of-night.html
Shadow shots are always fun....
ReplyDeletehttp://reesspace.blogspot.com/2008/12/thematic-photographic-27-shadow.html
I found another one in my To Be Processed folder.
ReplyDeleteI put it here.
My shadow theme post is up now.
ReplyDeleteCome visit and see the bridge in shadows.
Hi Carmi! I love this theme, Shadow! I've been waiting to post these photos for a while now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a fun theme!
I finally got round to joining in and have posted my TP shadow on my photo blog.
ReplyDeleteLove your pic - it's full of wonderful texture :)
Found another archive shot that fit. Which is good, 'cause there's not a lot of dayllight to work with around here this time of year. It's dark by the time I leave work, and today is pretty grim in any case. Maybe I'll find something over the weekend.
ReplyDeleteThematic Photographic 27: "Shadow" v.2.0 - "Witching Hour"
So it was sort of an aerial shot after all. I love the contetxtlessness (is that a word?) of it.
ReplyDeleteMe? I'd have just set my drive speed to full-on rock-n-roll mode and burned through a burst (or two or three) and picked one out that I liked. I guess that comes from shooting so much stuff where I couldn't ever predict what was going to happen next. And not caring too much about how much people stare.
I spend a lot of time in editing because of it.
But however you got it it's amazing. People'd pay for prints of this one. I'm talkin' folding money.
hey carmi,
ReplyDeleteyou et a whole post from me today, started with the search for shadows and ended up with a very interesting tour of the war museum. as usual, liking the challenge.
http://3yrplan.typepad.com/soeursdujour/
late but earnest! I got all carried away by the crazy antics of Canadian politics.
ReplyDeleteGREAT GREAT theme this week!! Love shadowy pics and thoughts!!
http://mayfairplace.blogspot.com/2008/12/mere-shadow.html
My post is up!
ReplyDelete"What happens when momma reads a book"
I stretched this one into what is "shadowing" over me right now!LOL
Your picture is awesome!
Great shot and fun theme. I found my first entry the very next morning. All it took was sitting in a different chair for breakfast. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteIt's over here today.
Here is a shadow photo from my files.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who I can refer, but I'd love to be on your new blog roll.
here's my shadow picture, directly from the "Happiest Place on Earth."
ReplyDeleteMy first time joining in! I took this one last weekend :)
ReplyDeletehttp://notesoflife.co.uk/?p=142
Hi!
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog while blog hopping. I did a post for Shadow Shot Sunday. So I will use this one for your theme. If you don't mind? You can see it here:
RAMDOM THOUGHTS FROM ME!!: SHADOW SHOTS
Sherrie
Hi! Here's my shadow. I like the theme.
ReplyDeletehttp://paulnewmanshirtdays.blogspot.com/2008/12/shadows-in-hallway.html
I like this theme... so much going on in shadows. Here's my contribution...
ReplyDeletehttp://strangepilgram.blogspot.com/2008/12/shadows.html
Wow, I am really running late again this week! Well, here is one interpretation of "shadows", the shadows of American-made cars past.
ReplyDeleteHi, Carmi! I am almost a week behind with this one!
ReplyDeleteHere is my entry for this theme.
Love this theme this week...shadows seem to be a part of my life!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.babylonezoo.fr/photo.php?no=282
ReplyDeleteHi Carmi, got inspired by Catherine, and would like to share those photos of mine
ReplyDeletewashed up