Tonight I went back to playing with light, and the garden became my little studio. This style works best when the environment is almost dark, so I waited for the late hours when ambient light is low and distractions fade away. With a single strong light and a few careful angles, the leaves turned sculptural, and the shadows did the rest.
What I enjoy most about shooting like this is how the background disappears. My phone’s camera meters for the brightest point and lets the rest fall into deep black, which removes the clutter and lets the subject stand on its own. The result is simple, but not plain—contrast adds depth, and depth adds mood. You start to notice the fine veins of a leaf, the thin edge that catches the glow, or the texture that would be lost in daylight.
In this set, I aimed the light from behind and from the side to carve out shape. Backlighting traced outlines and made the thin leaves look almost translucent. Side lighting brought out ridges and patterns that you can feel with your eyes. It’s a small reminder that black and white isn’t only about removing color, it’s about revealing structure and tone.
Experiments like this keep me curious. They prove that a phone, a light, and a quiet corner are enough to create something that feels cinematic. I’ll continue exploring different intensities and angles to see how far I can push these late-night studies.
~ Andri Cauldwell
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