To become a better photographer it’s imperative you learn how to interpret the amount, angle, direction, intensity, color, and contrast of the light. Subtle changes can make the difference between a magnificent image or a mediocre one. The word, photography, literally means “to write with light.” Light is what shapes a subject. It’s what separates it from the background. It’s what adds warmth or coolness to the picture. It’s what fabricates burned out highlights and/or blocked up shadows. I’ll be the first to argue that composition, the subject, and the background all play an important role in determining the success of an image. But when push comes to shove, number 1 on my list of variables over which I’d choose to have complete control is “Light.”

Diffused Light: If the light is diffused, it’s dispersed far and wide. The result is soft and even shadowless light that wraps around the subject. If you’re photographing people outdoors, it provides the option to place the subject anywhere as you don’t need to do battle with the bright sun. Bright sunlight creates hard and contrasty results (see Tip - How to Read The Light - Part 1: Portraits). Diffused light is great to photograph flowers, people, cars, any subjects with a high gloss finish, wildlife, etc. In keeping with the theme of the article, learn to read the different degrees of diffusion. A thin layer of clouds that diffuses the sun is the best. There’s still some sparkle to the light and there’s some life to the color. As the clouds thicken the amount of light is decreased so if you need a fast shutter speed, you’ll have to bump up the ISO. Another disadvantage to thicker clouds is the color of the light becomes more gray and is very flat. When the clouds are thick, the resulting images are weak. 

©Russ Burden

Angle of the Light: Many photographers do a lot of their shooting at sunrise and sunset as the angle of the light creates shadows and highlights across any subjects that have texture. Here’s where the focus of the article comes into play. If the low angle of the sun is at your back, even if the subject is textured, it won’t be revealed. Front lit subjects can’t exhibit highlights and shadows as the light is very flat. On the other hand, if you move so the sun is positioned ninety degrees to your left or right, it will put you in a perfect location to show off the shadows and highlights. The reason this occurs is the subject is now side lit. The more you transition from the ninety degree mark to the front light position, the less you’ll see the effects of the sidelight. It’s these nuances that can make or break an image that either needs to be front lit or side lit. As you begin to become a better reader of the light, you’ll know what you need to do to make the image better or decide to photograph a different subject in that the angle of the light is not conducive to creating a good photo.

©Russ Burden

Color of the Light: As I stated just above, many photographers do a lot of their shooting at sunrise and sunset. Not only does it allow textures to be revealed, the color of the light is much warmer. In keeping with the theme of this Tip, note how the color of the light changes throughout the day. The transitions are much more dramatic in the early morning and evening. At the moment the sun crests the horizon, the light is very warm. If you simply watched it over the course of an hour, you’d see it transition from a golden yellow to blue. From two hours after the sun rises until two hours before sunset, the differences in the color of the light are almost imperceptible. The same scenario that occurs at sunrise is repeated at sunset but the colors are reversed. They transition from blue to a golden yellow or reddish warm color. They happen quickly and are very distinguishable. 

©Russ Burden

The more you’re out in the field or studio studying the angle and quality of every lighting situation, the sooner you’ll realize how it will impact the subject even before pressing the shutter. They key is to not only learn to read the light, but what you need to do when it’s good or how to modify it, if possible, if it’s not. The better you become at noticing the nuances of how the light falls on your subject, the better your photos will become as you’ll know when to seize the opportunity if the light is fantastic or to simply move on if it’s poor. 

To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Nature Photo Tours. Visit russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, email me to be placed on my Tip of the Week list and to receive announcements about upcoming tours specials or to pick up a copy of my book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.