Amateur Photographer – 09 August 2019

subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 3 August 2019 19

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subjectsarerendereddifferently
dependingonthedirectionfromwhich
lightfallsonthem.
Whenthesunis behindthecamera,
shiningfullyonthesubjectbeforeyou,
detailis revealedineachcrackandcrevice
ofa building,landscape,orevena human
face.Theresultcanbepleasing,butis
rarelydramatic.
Whenlightfallsonthesubjectfrom
anangleof,say,30°-45°thingsstart
toimprove.Shadowsformincrevices,
textureis revealedandyourpicture
appearstoacquiremoredepth.Picka
camerapositionwhenthelightis shining
atsomethinglike90°tothesubject,and
thingsbecomeevenmoredramatic.Now,
onesideofthesubjectmightbebrightly
lit,whilethesidefacingthecamerawill
fallintoshadow.Subjectscanbebrightly
litagainstdarkerareas,whichreally
makesthemstandout.
Goallthewayandshootwhenthesunis

shiningstraighttowardsthecamera,and

thingschangeagain.Lightlikethisis

effectiveacrosswater,wherethesun’s

sparklingreflectionscanformanintegral

partofthecomposition.Alternatively,look

forsubjectswithsoftedges– a person’s

hairorthecoatofa sheepina field,

perhaps– andthesunwilldrawa halo

oflightaroundthesubject’sprofile.

Translucentsubjectslikeleaves,flowers

orthesailsofboats,litfrombehind,glow.

Moresolidobjectscanbeallowedto

fallintodarkness,producingstriking

silhouettesagainstthesunora

d ra maticsk y.

Summerversuswinter

Inmanyways,winterprovidesbetterlight

foroutdoorphotographythansummer.

Althoughthesundoesn’tshineasmuch,

whenit doesshine,it appearsmuchlower

intheskyalldaylong.Giventhat,all

thephotogenicqualitiesoflowlight

The light just

before a storm can

be very dramatic

1

For maximum atmosphere, shoot during

the golden hours in the early morning

or late afternoon.

2

Use frontal lighting to reveal strong

detail in a subject.

3

When shooting in overcast light, use

your preferred image-processing

software to later boost the contrast a little.

4

Make the most of sidelighting to reveal

texture and give a more three-

dimensional interpretation of the subject.

5

Try backlighting for more drama,

creating clear silhouettes against

brightly lit backgrounds.

6

Use strong shadows created by

backlighting as part of the composition.

You can even make shadows the subject.

7

When shooting against the light, never

look directly into the sun, even when

wearing sunglasses.

8

Avoid direct sunlight falling on the lens

and creating fl are. Use a lens hood.

9

If there are strong differences between

the well-lit and shadow areas of a

picture, use your camera’s spot-metering

mode to expose for the most important

area of the frame.

10

If you include the sun in your picture,

your camera’s meter might be fooled

into thinking the overall scene is brighter

than it really is. Use plus one or two

exposure compensation to open up one

or two stops and rebalance the tones.

10 tips for

seeing the light

Early morning warm-toned

side light introduces shadows

while adding texture and

depth to stonework

Lens hood

A good, deep lens hood

helps to eliminate, or

at least significantly

reduce, flare when there

is a risk of low, strong

directional light hitting

the lens and potentially

spoiling your shots.

Rain cover

When you’re shooting the

dramatic light just before a

storm it’s easy to get caught

out. Be prepared by carrying

a rain cover to protect your

gear. It’s also a good idea to

pack a waterproof jacket for

yourself as well.