Playing with Shadows

I first noticed how shadows factor into some family snapshots when I scanned this image of my paternal Grandfather, Vytautas.

Shadows arise noticeably in photos in which my Dad was the subject and in photos he took.

Here is an early example of what I mean:

Kaunas, Lithuania, about 1933. I am guessing at the year here, based on my Dad's age.

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Here is a later example; Dad used the self-timer for this shot:

Suburban Chicago, October 1961. Dad sits on the green, "mid-century modern" sofa. One of the things I notice about photos from the 1950s and 1960s is the height at which people hung paintings.