I was watching Disney’s Peter Pan the other day and continue to be amazed by the wonderful use of shadows in that film. The lighting design in that film is wonderful and it made me think about shadows in my own photography. Here are some tips for capturing shadows as you might capture Peter Pan’s.

The two most important considerations for shadow-making are the angle of the light and the exposure. Late afternoons usually work best, but if you wait too long, the shadows become unrealistically stretched.

One of my favorite shadow pictures is by photographer Serena Dawn Boggs. She captured this heart shadow on a rainy day, and the resulting image is so iconic. To read a full interview with Serena Dawn Boggs, click here.

For these shots, a convenient wall serves as the backdrop for an afternoon shadow-fest. The hardest part in taking these pictures was getting my daughter to turn sideways so I could get her profile!

When shooting shadows, underexpose the image at least one stop. Your objective is to darken the shadow and give yourself the ability to play with the levels in any photo editing software.

What I like about shadows is that they give an indication of a person. I love these pictures of my daughter. There are no distractions like clothing or bright colors. These are cameos for the 21st Century. It’s a great way to showcase how your kids are growing as well. This is the same wall, the same kid, the same time of year, but look how she’s changed!