We have all heard it many time before, photography is all about light. In fact the word photograph is a combination of two words, photos and graphos. Photos means light, graphos means drawing or painting. So, literally a photograph is a light drawing or a light painting. Without light, there can be no photograph. If you are standing in a completely dark room, camera on a tripod, your best lens attached to your camera and not even a little bit of light coming into the room…you will not be able to make a photograph. Bring in a single candle into the room and Voila….photograph. So, to make an image we need some light, even if it is a single candle. When we think about light, we must think about a few properties of light. Things light quality, colour, direction and time of day determine the look and feel of the image. As photographers, we need to start taking note of these things in order to improve our craft. Its important to note what time of day is the best to make an image. It is important to note where the sun will be at a certain time of day, so that you can make use of that soft afternoon light. You need to ask yourself a few questions like; do you want bright light or soft light in your scene? What colour do you want the light to be? What direction should the light be coming from? All these questions will determine, how, when and where you should be for the image you want to create. By asking these questions, you will become more aware of the light around you and in turn your photography will improve. Light changes throughout the day and from season to season. When you want to create an image, take a look at these things, think about where the best place will be to stand. You can also use a tool like the Photographers Ephemeris to make very accurate notes of when sunset and sunrise is. When you start understanding how the light works in a scene, you will be better at planning and getting the best shots possible! Enjoy chasing the light, but make sure you do it with a bit of insight.