Page 15 - Amateur Photographer - August 5, 2017

y college lecturer used to assert that
ght
▲ DSLR with
high ISO
The high ISO capabilities of
cameras such as the Canon
EOS-1D X Mark II allow
photographers to shoot
handheld at night, opening up
a world of new possibilities.
subscribe 0330 333 1113 I www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 5 August 2017
a good photographer could make
a lump of coal look appealing with
M the skilful use of lighting. I never
felt the need to prove his point, but my subsequent
decades behind the lens have convinced me he was
right. Even the Grand Canyon can look uninspiring
under the fl at grey light of an overcast day, whilst
a view of some fl at Essex fi elds can be transformed
into a breathtaking vision by evocative dawn light.
makes or breaks our pictures. In fact, lighting is so
Light is our raw material; the building block that
important to the fi nished image that I often feel
I photograph the light more than the subject.
We photographers need to see the light, and I
mean really see it, feel it and understand it in all its
endless forms and subtleties. When contemplating
a scene the fi rst thing to do is consider where the
light is coming from. And beyond seeing what is
happening now we need to predict the light that
will best illuminate the picture we have in mind at
different times of the day and year. Anticipating
what could happen with the light in a few minutes,
an hour, later the same day, the next morning, in
a few months or next year is a fundamental
photographic skill. It comes with experience and is
the product of every photographic vigil, productive
or otherwise. Standing by the tripod watching the
light paint a landscape is never time wasted.
We have the obvious time options – daylight,
dawn, dusk or night. Beyond those we have the
directional aspect to consider; do we want the main
light to come from the front, back, side or above the
subject, or a combination? Then there’s the nature
and colour quality of the light: high or low, hard or
soft, warm or cool? In truth, most lighting
situations in the natural world are a subtle fusion,
and the permutations are endless.
Colour temperature
All light sources have a colour temperature,
expressed in Kelvin. The light our planet receives
from the sun is constant, but as the Earth rotates
what we receive on the surface goes through radical
daily transformations. As photographers we have
fi ve different lighting options: daylight, golden
hour, twilight, blue hour and night. All have their
appeal, but atmospheric conditions, the weather,
our position on the globe and the time of year are
all factors affecting the nature of the light painting
the landscape. That’s why, after a lifetime behind
the lens, I still feel I’m only beginning to appreciate
the endless subtleties of natural light.
Take any photo group out at sunset or sunrise
The rising sun backlighting a and most will be transfi xed by the sun peeping over
misty dawn behind Salisbury
Cathedral, Wiltshire ALL PICTURES © DAVID NOTON the horizon. It takes mental effort to turn away and
Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, 24-70mm, observe the far more subtle lighting effects playing
1/100sec at f/11, ISO 100 on the landscape and sky to the north or south, but
that’s where the photographic gold dust lies. Seeing
it is one thing, predicting it is something else. Our
ability to pre-visualise these lighting situations is
▲ ND fi lters what sets photographers apart. It’s a skill to be
Neutral density graduated honed, so read on for details on how to shoot
filters really come into their own using various types of natural light.
when you are shooting straight
into the light, helping to balance ‘A good photographer could make
the exposure difference between a lump of coal look appealing
the sky and land, without
affecting colour balance. with the skilful use of lighting’
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