Remember being given the rule once upon a time to shoot photos with the sun over your shoulder from the back? The reason for it was to have a well-lit subject, and well-lit equals minimal shadows. Well, as many rules go, once you test it out and know it, you should definitely “break” it, at least in photography. Backlighting and side-lighting can add depth and dimension to a photo, and make it much more interesting than one lit from the front alone.
Photography really is all about light.