Pop Quiz:
Q: What is the single thing you can have that will improve the quality of your photography ten fold?
A: Light.
Q: What distinguishes a professional photographer from an amateur?
A: The photographer's ability to inherently analyze, adjust and/or provide the right light in each and every one of their photos.
Q: Why is it that professional level cameras don't have attached flashes that shoot light forward as opposed to the everyday point and shoot most people have? A: It's because the professional knows what light to look for, and if necessary knows to provide that light in the form of either a detachable flash or lighting setup.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY: WITHOUT THE RIGHT LIGHT, YOU DON'T HAVE A PHOTO.
Take this saying and make it your bible. It is the single most defining technique a person who is new to photography can take away in their quest to take better pictures.
The types of light
Hard -
Hard Light is light that you can typically see during a sunny day between the hours of 10:30-3:30pm. It is sharp, well defining, and contrasty.
Soft -
Soft Light is light that is typically found in the early morning hours, on cloudy/overcast days, in open shade, and in the later hours of the day between 4:30 and 7pm just before dusk. Take a guess which kind of light photographers like to use when photographing people? Exactly. The next time you're out there with your slr and you're photographing a friend, family relative etc. Take a look at the light around you. Is there shade where you can place your subject? The last thing a photographer wants is to have people squinting or having harsh lines formed in their subject's face due to the strong harsh light of the day. Soft light makes anyone's face look cleaner and better in front of a camera. It erases wrinkles and smooths out the skin.
The next time you're out with friends, on vacation, or just shooting around, pay more attention to the light that's around you. The way it shapes, wraps, softens and lightens can create a dramatic effect on your photography.
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