Tutorial 003: Working With the Light
The right light is crucial to an effective photograph, but "right" is often in the eye of the shooter. Generally, the most desirable light conveys a three-dimensional effect and enhances the beauty of the photograph, but light can also convey more nuanced moods, emotions, or personal statements. Light is not only the necessary condition for photography but also its primary tool.
While every day presents, unique light conditions, there are some generalizations that can be made.
- MORNING LIGHT In the early morning when the sun is still low in the sky, the light is clean and white. This is a good time for landscape photography, because the extra length of the shadows adds a three-dimensional effect to your pictures. This time is often called "The Magic Hour"
- MIDDAY LIGHT At high noon, when the sun is directly overhead, the shadows are short and deep and the light can be very contrasty. Portrait photography is especially difficult at this time because you must employ a fill flash or reflectors to soften the effect of the shadow.
- AFTERNOON LIGHT Late afternoon brings a warm, diffused light with long, soft shadows. It is an ideal time of day for most kinds of photography. This is also referred to as "The Magic Hour".
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Light is dynamic. If possible, plan your photography around the light. If you see a picture but the light is too harsh, wait an hour for conditions to improve.
Good weather doesn't necessarily equate to good light. Overcast days soften light and reduce its contrast, while storms can create rare, surreal effects that if used well can transform an otherwise ordinary scene into an extraordinary photograph. A rocky coastline with crashing waves can be spectacular with menacing, cloudy, gray skies as a backdrop. A person looking through a rain-streaked window can communicate strong emotions.
Good weather doesn't necessarily equate to good light. Overcast days soften light and reduce its contrast, while storms can create rare, surreal effects that if used well can transform an otherwise ordinary scene into an extraordinary photograph. A rocky coastline with crashing waves can be spectacular with menacing, cloudy, gray skies as a backdrop. A person looking through a rain-streaked window can communicate strong emotions.
TRY THIS: >>Place your subject by a window or an open door to create dramatic sidelighting. The light coming through a window is often diffuse and not as harsh as broad daylight<<
