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 and 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 imparts 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.” 

Fill Flash: Being a portrait photographer in Colorado, known for its 300+ days of bright sun, is challenging. The natural light is intense and the contrast is high. Suffice to say,  it’s not the type of light portrait photographers crave.  To tame it, I use flash to fill in the shadows and tone down the highlights. The flash fills in the shadows in the eyes and under the chin and nose. As a result, the highlights are reduced in that the meter no longer sees the dark areas in the shadows. I dial down the power of the flash so as to improve the look of the image but not give an artificial look. The amount of compensation can range anywhere from plus one third of a stop to minus one and one third stops. It depends on the intensity of the light. This is where the intent of the article comes to be. Learn to read the amount of contrast caused by the ambient light. The greater its intensity, the more the flash needs to be dialed up. Check the LCD to see how the ambient and flash light interact. Dial the flash up or down accordingly. The more you use flash outdoors, the sooner you’ll learn just how much light you’ll tell the flash to emit.

©Russel Burden

Open Shade: The image of the guy in the sweatshirt and hat was made on a sunny day but I moved him to a porch with a roof overhang to create open shade. I didn’t want to have to use flash as I wanted every nuance and line of his face to be revealed in soft light. I especially didn’t want to lose the incredible color in his eyes. Open shade allowed for all that I wanted to be seen. Not only did it create gorgeous light on the subject, the background better harmonized with him. To relate the image to the article, I knew that sunlight, even if modified with flash, wouldn’t produce the quality of light that open shade provided. Open shade creates a wrap around quality that doesn’t have strong direction. As a result, every portion of the face is evenly lit without any distracting highlights or shadows. While it’s not the best light for every subject or mood, learning why and when it’s best to use will make you a better photographer.

©Russel Burden

Mix The Light Sources: In the portrait of the man in the black hat, there are two light sources that I intentionally blended. The main light comes from the lantern on the left side of the image. The highlight on the hat’s strap along with the cooler tones on the background on the right side of the image come from daylight through an open barn door. The lantern created a warm glow while the filtered daylight provided cool hues. The open barn door allowed just enough daylight to act as fill. With regards to the title of the article, I originally positioned the subject farther away from the lantern. As a result, more of the exposure was based on the daylight coming through the barn door. When I looked at the LCD, I didn’t see the warm look I wanted. To make this happen, I moved the subject closer to the lantern and included it as part of the composition. The lantern became the dominant main light and allowed the ambient light to act as subtle fill. Again, to become a better photographer, it’s imperative you learn to read the light. 

©Russel Burden

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.