Taken from
Conscious Creativity
by Philippa Stanton
(Leaping Hare Press).
Find Philippa on
Instagram: @5ftinf.
Shadow spotting
A camera helps you see the shapes
of shadows. Shadow-spotting is like
one of those optical illusions; you
have to look in a slightly different
way to see the hidden shapes, not
the solid objects, and the dark
spaces between. Vary the shadows
you collect – they don’t have to be
crisp silhouettes created by bright
sunlight or composed atmospheric
shots, they can be small shadows in
corners, hazy shapes on the table or
leafy patterns on the pavement.Creating a shadow story
Collate a series of at least six images
utilising shadow to create a visual
story, even if it’s a journey only you
understand. Windows and doors are a
good place to start but also try to find
more abstract shadows. Investigate
and experiment and remember this is
not an exercise in perfection.Creating a
composition
There are no set rules when it
comes to making a composition and
trying to follow a set of instructions
can easily make you feel that you’re
not getting it right. All of the
exercises here will help you arrive
at composition through your own
genuine interest, experience and
experimentation. However, if you
want some guidance here are a few
ideas to help inspire you:O Create a photographic composition
inspired by something you have seen
around you (see pictures, left). It
could be on a beautiful walk, while out
shopping or when commuting.
O Arrange ordinary objects and see
how they relate to each other. You’ll
often see small children organising
their toys and arranging their
possessions into collections. It’s
engrossing and calming and can
lead to ideas.
O Don’t limit yourself to your usual
more comfortable mediums;
experiment with sound, photographs,
writing, drawing or collage.