Colour, light and shadow are amongst the most important ingredients for a successful photograph. Here are five artists who have mastered these techniques, singling out moments where people, buildings and objects interact. They encourage us to stop, look and consider the streets that surround us every day.
Architect Ricardo Bofill’s La Muralla Roja in Alicante, Spain, is immensely popular online; its pink, purple and blue walls have made it famous. Bofill’s maze-like structure is the backdrop for playful imagery by Lena Polishko, in which figures weave up and down staircases but are never quite in full view. This shot stands out for its simplicity and exquisite styling: blue trousers, yellow socks, black-and-white Converse.
Sports pitches and basketball courts are, perhaps unexpectedly, the perfect backdrop for bold, abstract photographs. Here, contrasting purple and green squares are outlined by stark white stripes. You can almost feel the heat of the sun beat down on the umbrella, which sits perfectly at an intersection. Marra’s attention to negative space, colour and composition are key components in the success of this image.
The majority of Artem Gavysh’s composition is hidden in darkness. Yet just one shaft of light reveals all the detail we need. A figure leans over a bannister, set against a bold, geometric shard of orange and red. The effect is instantly striking, and it taps into a rich tradition dating back centuries. Shadows and silhouettes are key to the history of art – from ancient shadow puppetry to Kara Walker’s powerful paper cut-outs.
Oladimeji Odunsi captures a figure who shades their eyes from the sun as light casts shadows on concrete columns. 20th century photography-lovers might be reminded of Vivian Maier’s New York City, October 31 (1954), which documents women lined up against a stark architectural backdrop, or even the famous interior view of Grand Central Station. It is often attributed to Hal Morey, but the author is unknown.
Silhouettes appear again in this close-up by David Clarke. The photographer is inspired by the city of Melbourne, Australia, documenting its people and places with a consideration for small details. Here, there’s an element of abstraction: the yellow walls and black outlines leave us wondering what’s outside of the frame. The subjects are caught in motion; their everyday activity is transformed into a work of art.
