Is this some sort of rainbow magic? Turns out I am not a magician, but this is a fun and creative way to utilize SCIENCE!!! The tri-color shadow set up is simple and produces imaginative results, let’s dive a bit deeper into the science.

The tri-color shadow or as I call ‘rainbow shadow’ setup involves three different lights of the primary colors; cyan, yellow, and magenta (or blue, red, and yellow). What’s the result of an equal mix of each colored light? These three colors mix together and it creates a white light. In this set up, this is the light I use on the model. I also like to hang a white poster board or have a white backdrop for the full effect.

Now to me, this is where things get fun. After creating the white light on the subject with the three colored lights, we are left with shadows — colored shadows. The colored shadows come from 2 of the 3 lights, let me explain further.

If our cyan light is lighting our model, the shadow it casts gets filled in from the magenta and yellow lights to produce an orange shadow.

Since all three of these lights are casting shadows, all three shadows are going to have an additive mixture from 2 of the three lights. In this set up, an orange shadow from magenta and yellow. A green shadow from yellow and cyan. A purple shadow from magenta and cyan.

Here are a few examples of the results!

Below I used the same set up but added a second light to one side of the subject to give the 3D aesthetic to the shadow. People had so much fun with these!

This past summer I got to use this technique for Photo Opp’s booth at Appleton’s Art at the Park event. Photo Opp is a new nonprofit organization in Appleton, WI that John Adams, Mark Ferrell and myself founded in 2021. Photo Opp’s booth at Art at the Park was the organization’s first public event appearance and when I volunteered to bring a photographic experience, I knew I wanted to offer something exciting, creative, and fun - what’s more fun than a tri-color rainbow set up?!

It was awesome to see how people interacted differently with the same set up. Here are some of my favorite photos from the event.

Tomorrow, November 29, 2022 is Giving Tuesday.

If you haven’t already, this is my shameless plug to check out Photo Opp’s website, follow on social media, and if you feel inclined donate to support the first public community darkroom in Northeast Wisconsin. We need to raise $6,000 to get our community darkroom construction started!

**Did I mention that this will be the one and only publicly accessible darkroom space in NorthEast Wisconsin!

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