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Terrific photographs can be ruined by distracting shadows.

The downside is that photography is all about light and where there is light, there are shadows. The upside is, there are some pretty basic and easy to do fixes.

Let’s start with the basics. What causes a shadow? Clearly, it is caused by light hitting your model and not hitting the background.

So, if you’ve got a problem with shadows falling on the background, one way to remove the shadow is to remove the background. Obviously, if there is nothing for the shadow to fall on, voila! No shadow.

So, start out by removing the background if you can.

When your photo shoot is being done outside, all you have to do is move your model so that there is no backdrop behind them. Pretty simple.

If your photo session is being done indoors, you obviously can’t take down or remove the walls, so move your model into the center of the room. They’ll be posing far enough away from the walls so that the shadows will magically disappear. Usually makes for a more unique and better shot too!

The second way to approach the problem is to position a light to illuminate the background.

If you are using a “studio” lighting setup, once you get your subject lit the way you want them, add an additional light that strikes only the background and not the subject.

Adding the extra light can be more than just a shadow remover. By adding in scrims, cookies and colored gels to modify the light, it becomes a part of the design of the photo. The modifiers will throw colors, patterns and shapes on your backdrop.

The way to think of light and shadow is this…light is like a billiards ball. When you roll a billiards ball into a cushion, the ball will bounce off. The key is, it will bounce off at the same angle it struck to cushion. (Remember this the next time you are trying to eliminate glare from eyeglasses.)

The shadow on the other hand, is ALWAYS directly in line with the light. So, you can minimize the shadow problem by changing the angle of the lights so that the shadow falls into an area that won’t show in the final photo.

You can do this outdoors by moving the subject until the light is hitting them from the direction you want. Indoors, with a studio setup, you can move around the lights to get the best angle. When shooting with only an on camera flash, you can bounce the light off the ceiling or a wall to change the angle the light is approaching the subject. Watch out for painted walls that will throw a color cast on your model.

The final intensity and harshness of a shadow is determined by the size and strength of the light source, relative to the subject.

If you lower the intensity of the light, that will also lower the intensity of the associated shadow. It will still be there, but you may be able to minimize its’ distracting effect.

You can lower the intensity of the light by using less power, or by using the same amount of power - but moving the light further back.

You can wrap light around a model - and minimize the shadows - by making the light bigger. This is done with reflectors, softboxes and umbrellas.

These modifiers can be thought of as being like a cloud. A cloud that moves between your model and the sun is nothing more than a giant diffuser. It makes the entire cloud a light source (bigger) instead of just the sun (smaller). This wraps the light around your model minimizing shadow intensity. Go outside and check out the difference in shadows when the light is coming from the sun and from a cloud. You’ll notice some astounding differences.

This article is just a simple primer on light, shadows and diffusion. There are entire books written on the subject and I’d suggest reading a few.

Happy shooting.

Terrific photographs can be ruined by distracting shadows.

The bad news is; shadows are a constant problem for photographers. The good news is, there are a number of simple “fixes”.

Let’s start with the basics. What causes a shadow? Clearly, it is caused by light hitting your model and not hitting the background.

Not to state the obvious, but if you have a problem with shadows falling on the background, the most basic fix is to remove the background. TaaDaa! If there is no background for the shadow to fall on…there’s no visible shadow.

So, fix number one would be - eliminate the background.

If you’re shooting outdoors, position your subject so that there is nothing behind them! Easy enough.

If you are indoors, obviously you can’t take down the walls, but you can move the subject further away from them! Shoot them closer to the middle of the room instead of right up against the wall and your ugly shadow problems will disappear.

The second way to approach the problem is to position a light to illuminate the background.

When using “studio” type lighting…just get your model lit the way you like and then add in another light source that lights up the backdrop and totally misses the model.

The extra - unadvertised - bonus with this method is that you can add colored gels, cookies and scrims to modify the light. They throw unique shapes, patterns and colors onto your backing. This way it becomes a design element in your photo and not simply a shadow removal tool.

The way to think of light and shadow is this…light is like a billiards ball. When you roll a billiards ball into a cushion, the ball will bounce off. The key is, it will bounce off at the same angle it struck to cushion. (Remember this the next time you are trying to eliminate glare from eyeglasses.)

The shadow on the other hand, is ALWAYS directly in line with the light. So, you can minimize the shadow problem by changing the angle of the lights so that the shadow falls into an area that won’t show in the final photo.

Outdoors this would be done by deciding which direction you want the light to hit your model and then moving them to the proper position. With a studio lighting system indoors, you move and adjust the lights to find the best angles. If you are stuck using an on camera flash, you can bounce the light off a wall or the ceiling. This will effectively change the angle the light is coming from and striking your model. Be careful the ceiling and walls are not painted a color that will throw an odd color cast on the subject.

The final intensity and harshness of a shadow is determined by the size and strength of the light source, relative to the subject.

If you lower the intensity of the light, that will also lower the intensity of the associated shadow. It will still be there, but you may be able to minimize its’ distracting effect.

Moving the light further from the model or reducing the lights’ power are two simple ways to lower the intensity of light hitting your subject.

Another option is to increase the size of a light relative to the model. This makes the light wrap around them and minimizes the shadow. You can make a light bigger with umbrellas, reflectors and softboxes.

You can consider a softbox or an umbrella as being like a cloud. When a cloud moves between the sun and your subject, the entire cloud becomes the light source. This obviously is a much larger light than just the sun by itself. The light wraps around the model and minimizes the shadow. Go outside and observe shadows from the sun and from a cloud. You’ll see a huge difference.

Light, diffusion and shadows are the subjects of many books. This article is only a beginning. go to the library and read a few books on the subject, you’ll be glad you did.

Good shooting.

Is this a description of you? You save up every cent to buy the latest photo gadgets and gear, you read all the how-to books, subscribe to the best photo magazines and haunt the camera shop. Finally, you find a suitable subject, insert a clean memory stick into your camera, (or some film) and start firing away.

You anxiously run down to the photo lab to get your film developed, (or spend a few hours trying to remember how to download your photos into the computer- who can see anything on that tiny screen anyway?). Finally, we get the results.

Oh no! Our stunning model has a huge tree growing out of her head. On every one of the shots we took! The entire shoot is ruined! Did you manage to avoid the tree? Congrats. How about the garbage can prominently sitting off to the side of the photo - you know, the one with trash spilling over the top and all over the ground. Did you notice the kids playing in the background or the cars going by?

Every photographer has done it, dozens of times. Pro and amateur alike. We get so focused on our model, poses, smile, eyes and so on, that we totally forget the rest of the scene in the photograph. It’s easy - you’ll do it too!

There’s so much to think about when constructing a good portrait. Is she (or he) smiling, is the angle of her head appealing, is everything in focus, did we focus on the eyes - and now we have to worry about trees, garbage cans, cars and kids?

You bet. We need to add one more item on our mental checklist. It only takes a second to scan your eye all the way around the edges of the viewfinder and look for potential problems. It’s actually pretty easy - if you make it a habit.

It’s easy to get carried away and start shooting too fast. Take a second, slow down and scan the edges of the viewfinder. Think about those trees in the distance, will they be blurred out or in sharp focus in the final print. Is there a way to move or shoot from a different angle?

Does your background include a street? Watch out for traffic - auto or pedestrian. Can you move to a different location, or change shooting angles and eliminate the traffic? Will you have to wait for a break in the traffic to get your shot?

I know this is a very obvious tip, but if this wasn’t a very costly, everyday problem I wouldn’t have bothered with this article. You can save a lot of time and money by just taking an extra second or two and looking at your backgrounds.