New Month, New Focus, New Picks!

Photography is the art or practice of taking and processing photographs. The root word Photo- refers to light, or "Phos". For the month of March we shall explore uses and techniques of light with some of our favorite photos.

Every photo needs light to be made and the methods one uses enable them to create a memorable image or a forgettable one. We've picked three examples for this week to illustrate how we see and use light.


Quality of Light
The example above is from Sequoia National Park. Our second day there we encountered a dense fog which had inundated the forest. The soft and diffuse light was ideal; it created bright shadows for smoothly contrasted images with rich colors. The Sequoia's are massive trees and the filtered light only makes them seem larger and more mysterious.

Direction of Light

Here we have a mother only a few months from conception. Using a lamp (low tech!) we have made a simple and rather traditional image much more dramatic. With direct light on one hand gently cradling her growing belly we draw the eye downward. Shot at a higher ISO and with some softening on the post-production side we have made a very endearing image.

Flare and Backlighting

Sunsets in the desert are spectacular and offer many opportunities to explore ways to utilize light. The above image is from southern Arizona, near a little town called Ajo. Lens flare is yet another method to add(or subtract) visual impact to an image. If over used flare can reduce an image's contrast to a point where it does not draw the eye as it should. Back-lighting the subject is another useful tool employed here as well. Cactus spines catch and diffuse the sun's rays nicely. Each species glows a bit differently too. A note to would-be desert shooters; find a hill covered with cacti and a sunset transforms it into a glowing golden masterpiece!

We will continue our exploration throughout the month-so stay tuned!