Light is the most critical component of your photography. I use a system for every image called the 4C’s, it helps me to put everything in place when I have time to setup the shot. The 4C’s are Colour, Contrast, Composition and Control. More on this in later posts, but without Light, you simply cannot make an image. This is the introduction passage to my eBook about working with Light (Coming Soon!) So here it is…
Light is the magic entity in your images. This is the reason that I chose to start off by talking about light. Light is the most important ingredient in your photography. Yes, you need a camera, yes, you need good lenses and of course if you will need to know how to use the camera, that will improve your photography exponentially.
We need to go back to the beginning though and rediscover what photography is all about. At its most basic, photography is about light. Without light, you cannot make an image. In a black, dark room, you only need one candle to make an image. Just one, dim candle can mean the difference between no photo and a great photo.
That what this book is all about. It is what photography is all about. This is not a “how to” book, rather it is about the concept of working with light. The word photograph literally means “painting with light” (more about that later).
Once you understand light, how it impacts your images, how it can be used to make better images, you will then be able to make better choices about how, when and what to photograph. By working with the steps, outlined in this book, you will be able to make better decisions about your photography. You will start observing and noting when the light is good for certain types of photography. Above all, your images will start to improve, giving you much more rewarding images and satisfaction in your craft.
Focus on seeing the light, looking at light, studying the direction of light, the colour of light. Become a student of light, read about and understand how it works. Once you have some idea, your photography will become instinctive, you will notice subtleties that no one else sees and you then, be able to be prepared for your shot.
From this introduction, I go on to talk about the colour of light, direction of light and so on. I won’t give it all away here, but I will share some of the ideas here, once it is finished, it will be ready for download, so get ready to get your copy!