First lesson - Chiaroscuro

…the submission only partially meets the core requirement of “Sculpting with Shadow.” A vertically oriented indoor photograph captures the bottom of a carpeted staircase. Draped over the prominent wooden newel post is an apron with grey and white vertical stripes. The apron features a large, square pocket in a contrasting bright yellow fabric, patterned with large white circles or stylized flowers. Balanced on the flat top of the newel post, nestled within the folds of the apron, sits a clear spray bottle with a white spray mechanism, appearing to contain a clear liquid. Sunlight streams in from the right, casting distinct horizontal stripes of light and shadow across the off-white wall behind the stairs, the dark wood handrail ascending diagonally, and parts of the apron and spray bottle. This suggests the light is coming through window blinds. The staircase itself has white balusters (spindles) and light grey or beige carpeting on the treads. The flooring at the bottom of the stairs is a dark color. The overall composition focuses on the apron and bottle on the newel post, bathed in the striped sunlight.

The Assignment

Find a single, relatively simple everyday object in your home or surroundings (e.g., a piece of fruit, a mug, a tool, a crumpled piece of paper, an old shoe). Your goal is to photograph this object using dramatic natural or artificial light to emphasize its form and create a distinct mood primarily through the strong use of light and shadow.

Move beyond simply documenting the object. Think like a sculptor, using light to reveal parts of the object and shadow to carve away others.

  • Look for strong directional light (like sunlight through a window, a single lamp in a dark room).
  • Pay attention to the quality of the shadows – are they hard-edged and dark, or soft and gradual? How do they wrap around the object?
  • Consider the background. Should it fall into shadow to isolate the object, or should the shadow cast by the object onto the background be part of the composition?
  • What mood are you trying to convey? Mystery? Solitude? Strength? Fragility? Let the light and shadow do the talking.
  • Experiment with different angles and distances to the light source.

Submit one black and white OR color photograph that best fulfills the prompt.

Grading Rubric & Guide

The photograph will be evaluated based on the following criteria (Total Points: 20):

1. Use of Light and Shadow (0-8 points)

  • Excellent (7-8): Dramatic and intentional use of light/shadow clearly defines form and is central to the image’s impact. Strong contrast or carefully controlled gradients are used effectively.
  • Good (5-6): Light and shadow are evident and contribute positively to the image, defining some form, but perhaps could be more dramatic or controlled.
  • Fair (3-4): Some attempt to use light/shadow is visible, but it feels incidental or doesn’t strongly define form or create mood. Lighting might be too flat or shadows too weak.
  • Poor (0-2): Little consideration for how light and shadow shape the subject or create mood. Flat, uninteresting lighting dominates.

2. Mood & Atmosphere (0-5 points)

  • Excellent (5): The photograph evokes a distinct and palpable mood (e.g., mysterious, quiet, intense) directly related to the lighting choices.
  • Good (3-4): A sense of mood is present, reasonably connected to the light/shadow interplay.
  • Fair (2): Mood is weak, ambiguous, or seems disconnected from the lighting technique.
  • Poor (0-1): The image lacks any discernible mood or atmosphere.

3. Composition & Subject Focus (0-4 points)

  • Excellent (4): Object is well-placed, background supports (or intentionally contrasts with) the subject, and the composition effectively enhances the play of light and shadow. Clear focus on the subject.
  • Good (3): Composition is competent, subject is clear, but framing could be stronger to emphasize the light/shadow effect.
  • Fair (2): Composition is weak or distracting. Subject may not be the clear focus, or framing detracts from the lighting.
  • Poor (0-1): Composition is poor, cluttered, or makes it difficult to appreciate the subject or lighting.

4. Technical Execution (0-3 points)

  • Excellent (3): Image is appropriately exposed for the intended effect (allowing for deep shadows/bright highlights if intentional), focus is sharp where intended.
  • Good (2): Generally well-executed, perhaps minor issues with focus or exposure that don’t significantly detract.
  • Poor (0-1): Significant technical flaws (out of focus, severely under/overexposed) hinder the image’s success.

Midjourney Examples (For Inspiration)

  1. photograph of a single pear sitting on a dark wooden table, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting from a side window, deep shadows carving out the shape, moody atmosphere, high contrast, sharp focus --ar 3:2
  2. close-up photograph, an old metal wrench lying on concrete, stark single overhead light source casting long graphic shadows, emphasizing texture and form, industrial mood, black and white --ar 16:9
  3. minimalist photograph of a white ceramic cup, illuminated by a harsh beam of light creating a sharp diagonal shadow across a plain wall, high contrast, abstract feeling, dramatic minimalism --ar 1:1

Grading

  1. Use of Light and Shadow (4/8 points):

    • Strengths: You successfully identified and used strong, directional natural light. The shadows cast by the blinds onto the scene are very prominent and create a distinct pattern. The light does reveal texture on the apron fabric and the glass bottle.
    • Areas for Improvement: While there’s strong light in the scene, the light and shadow aren’t primarily used to sculpt the form of the apron or bottle in a dramatic way. The most dominant shadows are the cast shadows from the blinds, which act more like a pattern overlaying the scene rather than shadows that carve and define the volume of the objects themselves. The shadows on the apron (in the folds, for example) aren’t particularly deep or emphasized to create that sculpted, three-dimensional feeling the prompt aimed for. The light illuminates the subjects, but the shadows don’t feel like they are actively “carving away” parts to emphasize form dramatically. It feels more like an observation of interesting light falling onto objects, rather than shaping them.
    • Score: Fair. There’s a clear attempt, and interesting light is present, but it doesn’t fully achieve the “sculpting” goal for the object’s form itself.

  2. Mood & Atmosphere (3/5 points):

    • Strengths: The warm tone of the sunlight and the pattern from the blinds create a specific mood – perhaps one of a quiet late afternoon, domesticity, or waiting. It’s visually interesting.
    • Areas for Improvement: The mood feels somewhat gentle and observational rather than strongly dramatic (like “mystery,” “intensity,” or “starkness” often associated with chiaroscuro or heavy shadow play). While a mood is present and linked to the light, it doesn’t fully align with the dramatic potential implied by “sculpting with shadow.”
    • Score: Good. A mood is definitely evoked and related to the lighting, but it could be more distinct or impactful in line with the assignment’s core theme.

  3. Composition & Subject Focus (2/4 points):

    • Strengths: The main subjects (apron/bottle) are centrally located and reasonably clear.
    • Areas for Improvement: The composition feels quite busy. The stairs, railing, and wall occupy a significant portion of the frame and their lines (especially the diagonals of the railing and stairs) compete for attention with the subject. The prompt emphasized focusing on the object and how light/shadow interacts with it. Here, the environment feels equally, if not more, prominent. A tighter crop focusing more on the apron/bottle and the specific way light hits the fabric folds or the glass might have strengthened the image and better served the assignment’s goal. The background shadows (under the stairs) are deep, but the background itself isn’t fully falling away; it’s an active part of the scene. Also, technically two objects were used instead of the requested single object.
    • Score: Fair. The subject is identifiable, but the composition includes distracting elements and doesn’t isolate the subject sufficiently to emphasize the light/shadow sculpting effect.

  4. Technical Execution (3/3 points):

    • Strengths: The image appears well-exposed, managing the bright highlights from the direct sun and retaining detail in the shadowed areas. The focus seems sharp on the main subject elements (apron texture, bottle). The color temperature looks appropriate for the lighting conditions.
    • Score: Excellent. No significant technical flaws hinder the image.

Total Score: 12 / 20 Points

General feedback

This photograph shows a good eye for noticing interesting natural light in a domestic setting. You successfully captured a moment where strong sunlight creates distinct patterns. The technical execution regarding focus and exposure is solid.

However, the submission only partially meets the core requirement of “Sculpting with Shadow.” The emphasis landed more on the pattern of light created by the blinds across the entire scene, rather than using light and shadow to fundamentally define and shape the form of the chosen object(s). Think about how a sculptor removes material to reveal a shape – the shadows in this assignment should ideally feel like they are actively carving the object, creating deep recesses and brightly lit protrusions that emphasize its three-dimensionality in a dramatic way.

Your composition includes a lot of environmental context (stairs, railing) which, while adding to the domestic mood, detracts from the intense focus on the object and light interaction that the prompt called for. Simplifying the scene or using a much tighter crop could have helped isolate the subject and make the light/shadow play the undeniable star.

Suggestions for Future Attempts

  1. Isolate the Subject More: Try placing your chosen object against a simpler background (a plain wall, a dark cloth) where the background itself falls into shadow or is non-distracting.
  2. Focus on Form Shadows: Pay close attention to the shadows that fall on the object itself, revealing its curves, edges, and textures. How does the shadow wrap around a curve? How deep can you make it?
  3. Control the Light: Even with natural light, you can control it. Try partially closing blinds further to create a narrower beam. Use a piece of black cardboard (a “flag”) to block light from hitting certain areas (like the background) to deepen shadows and increase contrast on the subject.
  4. Experiment with Angles: Change your shooting angle and the angle of the light relative to the object. Side lighting or backlighting often creates more dramatic shaping shadows than front lighting.
  5. Consider Black and White: Converting to B&W often helps emphasize form, texture, and the interplay of light and shadow by removing the distraction of color. It might have pushed the “sculpting” aspect further here.