THE QUALITY OF LIGHT
The quality, or contrast, of light is equally important in colour and black and white photography. It doesn't matter whether you are photographing portraits or landscapes, flowers or children, some consideration must be given to the light's quality to achieve the best results.

Click the images to find out how they were taken

Strong hard side lighting on buildings

Hazy light in a dusty Indian street

Angles
On a clear, bright, cloudless day, direct sunlight produces sharp, distinct shadows and crisp images. However, just a little cloud or haze can soften the light, diffusing the shadows and giving a much more gentle and subtle atmosphere. This is an important factor to bear in mind when attempting to capture the atmosphere of a particular place or subject. The sharp angles of a modern building might, for instance, suit the striking qualities of bright sunlight, but a child in a woodland carpeted by bluebells might well be better photographed in much softer lighting conditions.

Different parts of the world seem to produce their own particular light qualities, and this is one reason why travel pictures from different regions can vary so much. Quite apart from the subject matter, there is no mistaking dusty atmospheric light of an Indian back street market with the sparkling clarity of the autumnal light in the Highlands of Scotland.

Harsh
Very soft lighting can accentuate natural pastel colours, but can sometimes make for flat monochrome images. Harsh light is, however, generally best avoided when using transparency colour film because as the contrast of film is already quite high, it can lead to those empty shadows or burned-out highlights. A touch of haziness can often give the shadows a soft radiance that can be very pleasing to the eye.

Learn more about how to use light during a photography workshop

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