Today I am still looking hard for work. Anyone who needs some UX/Illustartion/Cartographic freelance work… hit me up, yo! This job market is a wreck, and feedback is sparse. I did get some feedback on my UX portfolio recently and I am trying to figure out how to incorporate the feedback. It is a bit nebulous, but it is the only feedback I have gotten. Anywhoozlebee… it is at SRHportfoilo.net Take a look iffens you want to.
Okay… now to the point of the post. This week I am answering 20 questions posed by ChatGPT and Gemini concerning the topic of “Shadows.” Shadows are really cool… literally and figuratively.
Here we go. Onto the questions:
1. What are shadows from a scientific perspective, and how do they form?
A shadow is the dark area created by an object that is blocking the light being projected from a light source… This is the most general understanding, but from a physics perspective, it is the area of occlusion created by an object blocking the path of an electro-magnetic signal emanating from a E-M source. This occlusion could be a physical object, or even some kind of dampening field or some such thing. I’m not a physicist… I am just guessing that something like this could exist.
2. What role do shadows play in art and photography, and how do they affect composition?
Shadows are extremely useful. Sometimes they can be used to guide the eye around a piece of work. Sometimes they are good for just blocking off negative space. There are whole classes in the visual arts that deals primarily with light and dark. How to use those 2 components to create impactful images. When I was in art school, the course I took on this was Visual Organization. It was a fun class.
3. Can shadows in the digital world differ from those in the physical world? How do CGI shadows work?
Well… they aren’t “real” just like everything in a CGI world is not real. The shadows in CGI environments are pure math. I think they are associated with the process of ray-tracing.
4. What is the significance of shadows in mythology, such as shadow people or djinn? What do these folklore/mythological creatures symbolize in different cultures, and how have their representations evolved over time?
Okay, conversations about Shadow People and Djinn are almost taboo subjects, even amongst the most ardent believers of paranormal stuffs. Shadow people primarily represent evil in most cultures where the folklore references them. Djinn are a different thing all together. Djinn are said to be a race of beings that, to us, seem to be made of shadow and energy. It is said they inhabit this dimension and a separate dimension as well. Djinn are an interesting lot. In stories they span the gamut of personalities, however the ones that tend to interact with people seem to be more malicious in nature. I really love the Djinn folklore. For more information on that, please listen to the podcast “The Hidden Djinn” by Rabia Chaudry (who could read me the phone book. A voice like mellowed honey.
5. How might the shadow of a 4th-dimensional object appear to us in 3D space?
I think this needs to be explained a little bit by what is meant by a shadow wen talking about mathematical dimensionality. A 0-D object is an object with a describable position. It is a point. A 1-D object is a line. It has 1 dimension, length. A 2-D object is a shape. That is an abject that has area because it is composed of some aspect of length and width. A 3-D object is a volume. It is an object that has a volume that is defined by length, width, and height. 3-D is where we reside and are most comfortable. So the shadow of a 3-D object in 2-D space is a shape, and the shadow of a 2-D object in 1-D space is a line, and the shadow of a 1-D object into 0-D space is a point. Sooo… a 4-D object is a hyper-volume that has length, width, height, and… I guess, time? So the shadow of a hyper-volume on a 3-D space is a shape that has volume.Weird. Supposedly within theories like string theory there could be up to 10 or 11 dimensions. Cooky.
6. Can psychological “shadows,” like Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow self, influence behavior and identity?
Of course. If there is part of your personality that you are actively or even unintentionally suppressing… that’s gonna leave a mark..
7. How does the phenomenon of eclipses challenge our understanding of light and shadow on a cosmic scale?
Not so much on a cosmic scale as much as on a planetary scale. I am unsure how in cosmology one could truly understand the concept of shadows. Does a nebula cast a shadow?
8. How do shadows play into horror films and literature? What makes them so effective in creating suspense?
Shadows are amazing at creating suspense because that are little spots of the unknown. The forest in colonial America was a scary place due to the shadows in the forest. The legen do Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman is purely due to the unknown in the dark and foreboding forest.
9. Are there any scientific studies or theories that explore the relationship between quantum mechanics and shadows?
Yes, They deal with the nature of the particle wave theory of light.
10. Could an artificial shadow be used for practical purposes, like temperature control or camouflage?
Ever been under a sun-shade?
11. How does the "shadow of the past" influence our understanding of history and personal memories?
The shadow of the past is kind of the idea of unintentionally repeating mistakes. That fear of repetition causes timidness and safe decisions.
12. What philosophical interpretations can be drawn from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where shadows represent reality?
That reality to one all depends on the viewers’ perspective. To the viewers of the shadows on the wall, that is their reality. It really goes back to 3-D objects’ shadows on the 2-D space….I have already waxed eloquent about that.
13. Can shadows be used to create optical illusions, and if so, what are some of the most famous examples?
The one that I can think of has to do with color theory. How you can construct an image such that the shadow of an object is the same color as a portion of the image that is “in the light.”
14. What role do shadows play in our unconscious fears and anxieties?
Shadows often equate to the unknown. The unknown can be scary and anxiety causing.
15. How do we project our own shadows onto others, and what are the consequences of this behavior?
Projection is projection is projection. Whether someone is projecting their “shadows” or their “highlights,” it does not matter. Projection is ascribing intention to actions or behaviors of others because of how you would behave or act.
16. Shadow of the Universe: How do astronomical phenomena like dark matter and the cosmic microwave background create "shadows" in the universe?
The shadow universe is not like the Star Trek Mirror Universe where everything is the same but the good guys are bad and sport weird facial hair. The Shadow universe is made from dark matter, which we see evidence of, but have never directly observed it.
17. In various cultures, how are shadows interpreted as omens or signs of good or bad fortune?
Since shadows denote darkness, often there are pieces of folklore that mention a shadow being the symbolism of bad things happening to whomever the shadow falls on. Basically darkness = bad and scary.
18. How do shadows represent the complexities of moral decision-making and the gray areas between right and wrong?
Often when “good guys” are operating on the fringes of society by doing potentially bad things… or morally gray areas, they are said to be “operating in the shadows.”
19. Can ignorance be considered a shadow that obscures our understanding of the world?
Yes.
20. Film Noir: How is shadow used as a visual element in film noir to convey darkness, danger, and moral ambiguity?
Shadows are a strong visual element in Film Noir. It adds texture to the images and frames where the filmmakers want your eye to follow.
To recap:
Do the thing with the Substack
Substack is becoming a thing
Isn’t it?
Don’t forget to do the thing with Medium
Medium is often overlooked
Still need gainful employment
Artistic commissions are open
Get in contact with me, and I can bang something out for ya
It is late
And I still need to format this post
Get all the links embedded
Make some imagery
Shadowy imagery
Send good employment thoughts this way
Papa needs a job
Have a great week everyone