Photo Observation #3: Shadows
http://foto-decadent.livejournal.com/1762401.html
From an unknown magazine publication, and unknown photographer.
THEME: Shadows
DESCRIPTION: There were several pictures from the same photoshoot, and I had difficulty picking one. I settled on pinstripes over polka-dots because the stripes showed directionality and form. I love this picture because it shows what shadow can do, instead of only what it does do. If that makes any sense. The shadows that are being cast on the model’s body are clearly created ones, and it gives her a very surreal and alien appearance. What I like most about the shadows is that they provide a sort of modeling, just not the kind that we are used to. Rather than distinguishing the features of the face and body, the stripes distinguish the shape of the model. The light bends to her every curve and reveals nuances, like the hollow of her neck and the curve of her cheekbones.
The manipulation of light is much more seamless than makeup; if I didn’t know better, I would think that she had striped skin. The shadows in this picture are also what brings the photo back to reality. The shadows that her head casts onto her neck, and her arm casts onto her face, remind the viewer that the light, however unusual, still follows the rules of light that we know.
You must be logged in to post a comment.