How to Use Light & Shadow for Dynamic Street Photography
What’s poppin’ people? It’s Dante. This morning, I’m out here on Market Street in Philadelphia, and I wanted to share one of my favorite spots to photograph—where the light looms through these columns.
It’s such a beautiful interplay of light and shadow. You can see two shafts of light cutting through, with doorways leading out from Jefferson Station. This is a choke point where people constantly come and go. I know the time of day when the light is cast just right, and I know how pigeons interact with the space, creating dynamic compositions.
The Elements of a Strong Scene
Here at Jefferson Station, outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, I have many different planes to work with:
- Foreground, middle ground, and background
- Beams of light creating high-contrast moments
- The movement of people and pigeons adding spontaneity
If I want to, I can step back by the bus stop and work a wider composition. Or, I can get right up to those beams of light and blend in, acting as if I’m just hanging out by the column, basking in the sunlight. The key here is patience—waiting for the right moment, for the right gesture, for the unexpected.
Fishing for the Moment
“All you have to do is just be patient, observant, and find yourself at a choke point where there’s movement.”
Sometimes, I’ll just fish—waiting for people to enter the light. Maybe I’ll get a silhouette, maybe I’ll get a face illuminated just right. It’s all about anticipation. The light changes quickly, and these dynamics only last for so long, but if you’re patient, you can capture something special.
Playing with Light
There are two main ways to photograph in this scene:
- Facing the sunlight – Backlit subjects create a glowing effect.
- With the sunlight behind me – Subjects are fully illuminated in the beam.
Each approach offers different possibilities. Some shots will emphasize graphic shapes and contrast, while others will highlight facial expressions and emotion.
Experimentation is Key
I don’t just stay in one spot. I move.
“Through movement is improvement.”
By shifting angles, stepping forward or backward, and adjusting exposure, I unlock new compositions. I play with motion blur, using slower shutter speeds inside the tunnel to capture the rush of people. Or, I freeze action using program mode. Photography is a visual puzzle, and I’m just trying to solve it.
Camera Settings
For this kind of shooting, I keep things simple and fast:
- Ricoh GR IIIx
- Aperture Priority Mode
- Minimum shutter speed: 1/500th of a second
- Highlight-weighted metering mode
- Small JPEG files (no post-processing needed)
I want to spend my time shooting, not editing. My process is about making images directly in-camera, then importing to my iPad Pro and reviewing them instantly.
The Street as a Stage
“When you’re out on the streets, it’s your ability to uplift the mundane, to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.”
A train station, a bus stop, a few columns of light— that’s all I need to work with. The magic happens in the everyday. Someone lights a cigarette, a pigeon takes flight, a person enters the light just as another figure lingers in shadow.
Keep Moving
“Don’t stay still when you’re photographing—move.”
If I stood in one place the entire time, I’d miss the best moments. The key is to keep changing your perspective—walking around, testing angles, seeing how light interacts from different viewpoints.
So, yeah, just some random thoughts from the street. I figured I’d switch it up and do more on-location videos, sharing ideas straight from the scene. If you want more, check out my blog at dantesisofo.com or visit my Start Here page for more resources.
Until next time—peace.