Finished
“Shadow and Light” Photography Competition
Theme: Shadow and Light
Photography is the recording of patterns of darkness and light. Shadows enhance the relationships of subjects in an image, they give definition and dimension, which compliments the quality of the light values. Photographers have used dramatic shadows and patterns in black and white images and have also explored using ethereal and moody shadows and textures in color photography. We will be looking for a range of how shadow and light are interpreted by contemporary photographers.
Award
- Exhibition in Black Box Gallery, Portland Oregon (March 1-20, 2023)
- Black Box will provide for free all framing, matting and printing for the exhibitions.
Juror: Todd Johnson
Submission of digital images by email: [email protected]
Image requirements: Jpeg format; 1024 pixels on the longest side at 72 DPI, 2MB or less each (saved). The photographers who are selected into the exhibition will provide a high resolution Tiff file for our gallery to print for the exhibition.
PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR YOU:
The complimentary and opposing colours that bring a colour image to life are all reduced to black and white or shades of grey in a monochrome image and you have to look for tonal contrast to make a shot stand out. In colour photography, for example, your eye would immediately be drawn to a red object on a green background, but in monochrome photography these two areas are likely to have the same brightness, so the image looks flat and dull straight from the camera. Fortunately, it’s possible to work adjust the brightness of these two colours separately to introduce some contrast. However, a good starting point is to look for scenes with tonal contrast. There are always exceptions, but as a general rule look for scenes that contain some strong blacks and whites. This can be achieved by the light or by the brightness (or tone) of the objects in the scene as well as the exposure settings that you use. The brightness of the bark of a silver birch tree for example, could inject some contrast (and interest) in to a woodland scene. Setting the exposure for these brighter areas also makes the shadows darker, so the highlights stand out even more. Look for shapes, patterns and textures in a scene and move around to find the best composition.
The complimentary and opposing colours that bring a colour image to life are all reduced to black and white or shades of grey in a monochrome image and you have to look for tonal contrast to make a shot stand out. In colour photography, for example, your eye would immediately be drawn to a red object on a green background, but in monochrome photography these two areas are likely to have the same brightness, so the image looks flat and dull straight from the camera. Fortunately, it’s possible to work adjust the brightness of these two colours separately to introduce some contrast. However, a good starting point is to look for scenes with tonal contrast. There are always exceptions, but as a general rule look for scenes that contain some strong blacks and whites. This can be achieved by the light or by the brightness (or tone) of the objects in the scene as well as the exposure settings that you use. The brightness of the bark of a silver birch tree for example, could inject some contrast (and interest) in to a woodland scene. Setting the exposure for these brighter areas also makes the shadows darker, so the highlights stand out even more. Look for shapes, patterns and textures in a scene and move around to find the best composition.