Co-starring light

I wish I could remember the exact quote and who said it, but the idea is this:

No matter what we are taking pictures of, we are always taking pictures of light.

Seems obvious when you hear it, but I was looking at a contest on "The Poetry of Shadows" and it got me thinking about that idea. The fact is, most of my street photography isn't really about light. Or rather, light is far less important than the people and the geometry of the shot. I quick survey of some of my recent Paris photos made me realize that it wouldn't hurt to let light play a co-starring role if not the lead more often.

Now, if I happen upon some photos that are all about "the poetry of shadows" then maybe I'll submit something. Not the bike shot above (that I photographed one day walking home in Paris), however, because the judge takes photos of garbage smashed in parking lots (I'm not criticizing, I actually think they look really cool) so I don't think the pretty bike shot would be her cup of tea.

In any case, it might be a good exercise to look through some of your own photos and pretend you are going to submit some to a show about light or shadows. What kind of role do you give light? Cameo appearance? star? supporting actor?