Capturing Shadows as a Framing Device, YouTube Channel and More!

Sub-framing is one of the hardest compositional approaches I've experienced in my whole life! By itself, the framing of an image is already challenging, now imagine composing within another composition guideline! Well, this Inception-like idea is exactly what this week's photography challenge is all about.

Tersha is quite aware of all the talent roaming around this place, so she decided to take this concept to the next level by adding an extra layer of visual complexity, shadows. Shadows offer one of the most spectacular contrasts photography has to offer, so expect some extra-bold masterpieces below. Here, we've selected a myriad of lighting, exposure, hard light, patterned light, contrast, fast lens, flash, editing, low-key, shapes, and more!

Photo Of The Week

This surreal image by talented member ElinL (@elax) was awarded as the “Photo of the Week” this time!

What Are Our Members Up To?

The following images are best viewed in a slow-paced reading attitude:

The phrase “capturing a shadow” feels contradictory sometimes. Nevertheless, images like this serve as good examples of how effective photography is when fixing light in an eternal object like a rich PNG or jpeg file.

Another great shot by Elin, filled with simple ingredients like texture and shapes:

Speaking of shadows, can you imagine the span of our planet's shadow‽ Quite lengthy if you ask me.

If you are familiar with painting, then “chiaroscuro” won't be an alien word for you. But for many photographers, the term might appear a bit odd for more than one of us. This technique refers to the use of light and shadow to achieve a dramatic contrast in the scene. This image is a good example of this being applied.

We can't deny that thanks to this compact light painting we are capable of enjoying such a textured shadow in the foreground.

Cracks on a vase is a poetic clash by itself, adding some extra drama is a coherent creative decision that makes sense given the subject we are presented with. Genius!

For a reason I can't clearly spot, this photograph triggered a memory from my days studying art appreciation; one depicting a woman in a cubist style. The work is still considered sophisticated and has a lot of science behind it. Which by the way, was painted by Marcel Duchamp; that same guy that became famous for presenting a urinal as art more than 100 years ago.

Standing on your own shadow is something we rarely think of…

What a bold capture! I have to say, “Blinded by Shadow” feels like a great name for this unique piece.

After watching all these images we can firmly conclude that composition shouldn't be taken for granted when learning all about making photographs. Yes, feeling exposure with your bare eyes is a delight, but the technique is broadly surpassed by visual storytelling when it comes to reading a photograph. For more great shots, swing by the original 671th thread.

What You Shouldn't be Missing from the Light Stalking Community

Valery asked about the Lightroom calibration panel, something neither Rob, Tersha or me managed to help with 😂 So if you have something to share about this mysterious tool, we'll thank you a lot!

Rob shared a video on a cool little new tool in Lightroom that is using AI to add bokeh:

That's right, we have a YouTube Channel, so expect some insightful content in 2024!

Tersha delighted us with a full-moon photograph:

Thanks to Patrick for this valuable intel:

The 13th and final full moon of 2023 will take to the skies later this year, and while it won’t quite fall on Christmas, it will be extremely close to the holiday. According to NASA, the final full moon of the year will rise in the skies on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 26

Oh, did you know that there is always a huge spike in traffic for the full moon at Light Stalking? Our hypothesis is that people can't resist shooting the moon and finding out how to do it better!

The Mobile Monday Challenge is open for sharing some shots! And if you want to see more shots, take a look at the Members Picks, a place where our community shares their favorite photographs from our forums every week.

We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts

Also, our Feedback Forum has some nice pictures and is clear that some of you have started building a solid photography style. This is the right place for all those people who want to grow fast as photographers.

Here, you'll get your work critiqued by plenty of friendly people, but you'll also have the chance to critique your peers. We truly believe in the power of criticism and feedback. Here are some of the most interesting shots shared during the last week:

The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and discuss, so please read the instructions in order to get a better critique experience. Share your comments, opinions, and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Don't be shy, critiques are given to photographs and not photographers.

Also, don't forget to participate in our next challenge!