The "Right Light"

[Adrian]

One of the things that differentiate me from people who take really good photographs, is that they recognize good light when they see it.

I have numerous photos that would be so much improved if only I had paid more attention to this.

I wonder if anyone is aware of a resource anywhere that provides some good pointers as to what to look for. (I realise that early morning and end of the day are good).

Often I find that I only really notice lighting defects (such as undesirable shadows or poor exposure) when I download the images onto my computer screen. I would value some tips that teach me what to look for prior to clicking the shutter!

[xeliex]

Hey there,

I find all lights to be workable.

The most bothersome light for me is the harsh sunlight.

When it's took dark, it's an opportunity to try out low light technique. Indoors/ action I typically use an external flash. Sometimes a combination of higher ISO with a large aperture if gear/ conditions allow.

I find overcast days great for walking and shooting around.

Post some specific pictures / scenarios if you can. I also find shooting RAW and adjusting white balance helps a lot in many situations.

Elie

[McQ]

Perhaps a favorite Ansel Adams quote is appropriate:

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."

[Adrian]

It is interesting how many good photographers are familiar with Ansel Adams.

I would post some pictures - if I knew how!

Interestingly enough, there is disagreement in my household about what constitutes a good picture. Some of the ones that I am dissatisfied with (often portraits of my partner) - are regarded by her as the best shots. What for me are intrusive shadows, she sees as an unavoidable feature related specifically to the circumstances of the shot - and hence part of the story.

I am not a completely inexperienced photographer. We have taken many shots with a film SLR (latterly an EOS 1V that was, in truth, a bit too much for me) but having taken the step into digital photography I find myself struggling to relate the camera image to the somewhat different image that appears on the monitor.

The (iMac) monitor is calibrated incidentally. Perhaps I simply need to play with the camera settings for sharpness, colour saturation and so on until I find an image quality that suits me. Possibly the transition from full to cropped frame also has a small impact.

A

[McQ]

Adrian: FYI, there's now a thread on "how to upoad images/photos". Hopefully this will make the process more straightforward.

[manis]

Hi Adrian,

I agree with Elie and Sean.
I think there is not a "Right light" as there is not a "Wrong light". Different types of lights are fine for different types of photographs. There are some many rules that wish to teach us what are the "right lights". An example is the classical rule the tells to avoid midday light for portraits and prefer the late afternoon light.
I think that it is important to understand how the light influence photographs and then it's up to us to use it to obtain the result we wish.
One way to learn how to use the light is to look at the photographs of the great photographers we like and ask ourselves why did he choose that light ? How would that photograph appear if he used a different light ?

Rules are here only to be broken .... at least in photography

Ciao,

Fabrizio

[willgoss]

I certainly agree with Manis who agrees with Elie and Sean.......

Especially that rules need sometimes to be broken.....

While I consider lighting...I find that often I am working around the lighting especially in candid shots......Unfortunately in a few cases the work around occurs in the post processing which in digital is easier and sometimes effective.....

[MoJo40 Design]

I found this book very helpful in understanding lighting when using strobes.
It should also help if your are using natural light.

Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers:

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lightin...956942-0019625

For me I started out with one light and tried to figure out kind of images I could get.
From there I introduced a reflector.
After that I started using two lights then three and so on.

Using a light meter will help you keep the ratios in line.

[MoJo40 Design]

I would also check out:

Understanding Exposure:

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-...629969-8111633

Find yourself a muse and schedule some shooting time with them.
The biggest thing that help me was to know what I wanted the outcome to be.
I flipped through Vogue and picked out a couple of shots then tried to recreate the light.
It gave the practice more meaning because I learned when I got the shot right and how to recreate it.

You can do it!