Seeing The Light

Seeing The Light

Photography is all about light, for without light there is absolutely nothing. Given that we need to light our subject and shooting as I do using JPEG capture I can't make it up afterwards (even RAW shooters have limits) so I need to look at how the light falls on the subject. Then the quality of that light, it's colour and also of course whether it's a spotlight or an even splash or whatever else is around. Then we can modify using reflectors, both natural and photo kit, and finally we get around to using the camera itself, adjusting white balance, photo style, shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Sometimes the light itself is the main feature of the image. Sometimes we are looking for just a glisten in the eyes for an appealing portrait. We use the available light.

There is also the option of adding to the available light with small LED sources, studio lighting, flash units and so on. Even torches can be used to augment and alter what is already there. One thing is for sure - we ignore the quality of the light at our peril. I've made a selection of images that use light in some particular way, so let's have a look at those:

The light from the tablet adds colour



Magnificent church lighting



A shaft of light in a dark mill building



Storm light



Smooth Trans Focus lens gives the bokeh and sublime overcast light adds to the modelling on the tulips



Interior greenhouse natural lighting at Bent's Garden Centre



Diffuse lighting during a hot summer day inside a large tent



Bright overcast lighting helps to give these fungi a luscious quality



The Eyes and Zeiss quality plus lovely natural light in the shade



The Night is the playground of glorious lights



Searching for Ed Sheeran



Concentration



Sophie by Candlelight



Stage lighting is endless fun



Superb lighting from a sunny but misty day



Night Frog, found on the Trafford Centre car park



Dull, ordinary light makes for dull, ordinary images, so I'm always on the lookout for amazing lighting conditions. The potential for endless variety in photography goes on......