YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Seek out scenes in the Medina where light cuts through narrow streets, courtyards, or doorways, creating isolated pockets of brightness surrounded by deep shadow. Capture 6–10 photographs that explore this interplay of darkness and illumination.
Your images should focus on:
• Long shadows cast by people, objects, architecture
• Strong highlights falling on select subjects or surfaces
• High-contrast situations where metering for the highlight leaves the surroundings in rich darkness
• Compositions where the light becomes the subject — guiding the eye, revealing texture, or defining shape
Use these contrasts to build dramatic, atmospheric images that rely on mood rather than details.
ENCOURAGING CONSIDERATION
– Meter for the light. Expose for the brightest part of the scene — the rest will naturally fall into deep shadow. This creates mystery, shapes, and a cinematic feeling. Don’t be afraid of losing details in the dark; that’s the intention.
– Follow the shadows. Early morning or late afternoon offers long, stretched shadows that can lead the eye through the frame or transform ordinary subjects into graphic silhouettes.
– Wait for the right moment. A single passerby stepping into the light, a hand reaching through brightness, dust floating in a beam — timing adds magic.
– Look for contrast in texture. Highlights on metal, cloth, stone, or skin reveal subtle details while the surrounding darkness removes distractions.
– Use the architecture. Narrow alleys create natural spotlights. Shoot from shaded areas looking into bright ones, or frame scenes through archways for depth.
– Simplify the composition. With strong light and shadow, even everyday scenes become striking. Let shapes and outlines carry the story.
– Experiment with silhouettes. Let subjects fall completely black against bright backgrounds to emphasize form and gesture.
– Embrace mood over clarity. Pockets of light are about atmosphere — the feeling of mystery, discovery, and quiet drama within the chaos of the Medina.