Into the Shadows

Today we are pleased to present the first of several upcoming guest posts by John Tuckey. If you're not aware, John Tuckey has, in a few short years, built a reputation for high quality monochrome images with a distinctive look heavily influenced by the golden era of Hollywood portraiture. You can read more about John, his work and workshops on his website, Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

As photographers we all talk a lot about light: the quality of light, the direction of light, how we perceive light and, of course, we spend endless hours fixating on 'how much' or 'how little' light we need and want to get a particular shot or realise a certain vision. So why do we so seldom look from the other side and give as much attention to light's alter-ego, shadow? Why do we so frequently overlook the potential of photography's dark side and risk missing so many creative and exciting opportunities.

Shadows aren't just the naturally occurring flip-side of light. They're entities in themselves. Use them inventively and they bring another dimension to your work and give you an entirely different set of possibilities to explore. Think of shadows like organic special effects you control and which control the way your images are seen. You change the entire meaning of a shot with judicious use of shadows, because they allow you to guide the eye to where you want it to focus and hold it there without distraction. The subtle, natural mystery of shadows lets you play with people's imagination so the simplest set-up becomes intriguing and involving where shadow suggests and the mind fills in the blanks.

Of course, the tradition of shadowy photography is nothing new. Ansel Adams' stark wildernesses lived in shadow as much as light. Helmut Newton powered his photographic narrative with the latent sensuality of shadow. Man Ray's surrealist portraits plundered shadow to evoke sinister twists and black humour. While Cecil Beaton's 1963 studio shot of Twiggy took gamine beauty, he used dense shadow to off-kilter a perfectly symmetrical face and created one of the 60s' most iconic portraits.


Obviously the depth and form of the shadows in our images are directly linked to the light we use. Light and shade in photography are as inextricably linked as they are in literature, painting, philosophy. But when was the last time you composed an image with the depth and form of the shadows as your core creative concept instead of the quality and quantity of light?

It’s something I do whenever I set out to shoot a Noir look and increasingly in my more sensually themed work. Because it’s the depth of the shadows that give noir shots their power and drama. Likewise in more sensual scenes, shadows reveal and cloak as effectively as any garb and recreate a powerful association to memories of intimacy, longing and seduction which we all have to a greater or lesser extent.

The cloaking nature of the shadows can also be an amazingly effective tool for any photographer limited by a bland or difficult location. We've all been in a situation where, for one reason or another, we've got to make the best of a poor place and the transformative nature of shadow works wonders – even if you're working from home. The ability to change a front room into an atmospheric, smoky bar or a bedroom into a boudoir or a dull garage into a mesmerising stage all comes down to clever use of shadow.

Once the shadows are wrapped around the background, the eye relies on what is in frame to provide sense of place and suddenly you don't need endless props or expensive lights to set your scene.

If I’ve peaked your interest with this idea then experimenting with shadows is incredibly easy to start with. All you need is a strong light source or two and high shutter speeds to cut out ambient light.

The light doesn’t need to be a Fresnel or flash. A desktop lamp and some kitchen foil can do what's needed – just be careful the light doesn't overheat (the foil will act as an insulator).

Then close the curtains or draw the blinds, let your imagination loose and get creative – it's playtime and nothing is more fun to play with than shadow. You'll see.

John Tuckey - Into the Shadows