Photography; Talking Pictures

With spring here and summer close behind the pace of our photography picks up. So I thought it would be a good time to talk a little about light and how it affects all picture taking. Taking a photo in the right light is as much sense as it is sight. And luck is a part of this too. I awoke too late one morning to get to my usual sunrise spot but as I looked outside I saw this absolutely gorgeous sky. So I gathered up my camera and tripod and headed down to the beach where I fired off a whole roll of exposures. (By the way this is the only time I have seen colors like this in the time I've been in Maine over 15 years). This was the luck picture.

Light changes throughout the day. We know that the light before and after sunrise and sunset are the best times for photography outside but much can be done during other times of the day also. The oblique rays of the sun can give dramatic images and the sun at midday can be utilized by taking pictures in open shade (fig 2) or by reflecting light on to an object by using a white card or metallic foil attached to a solid board.
 

Another thing to keep in mind is that you may be able to control outdoor light by changing the position of the camera or by using filters or changing the settings on your camera. To get the picture you have in your mind's eye you may have to return to the scene on different days, weather conditions or even in different seasons. The picture in fig. 3 was taken after many days
of retuning to the same spot.
 

(fig. 3)

That is a quick lesson on light. For more help please send questions to me at:

bcmorgan@comcast.net.