Summer brings sunny days at the beach, hikes, vacations and lots of opportunities to capture photos.  A photo that is completely sunlit can sometimes look flat and less interesting than one where you use the shadows to your advantage. 

Shadows can provide a visual balance to the bright sun and they convey depth, that third dimension that is missing in a two dimensional photo.  When photographing your friends, have them turn sideways and let the shadows accentuate their facial and body features.  The result will have greater depth, make your friends look trim and be much more flattering.

Include the shadow of a well known object, such as a tree and the viewer envisions a larger scene than you are actually showing.  The viewer will see the shadow of the tree and project in their minds a tree overhead.

Or use shadows to accentuate the items in the scene, such as the Olive trees in Tuscany and the Sea Slug Eggs on the beach in Uruguay each with trailing shadows.  The repetition of the Olive tree shadows adds an interesting graphical element.

Usually you’ll find the most pleasing images early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is low and not so bright.  If you find yourself hitting that shutter midday, keep in mind how shad ows can help tell the story, balance your image and show depth.