Lighting can make or break a picture....

Lighting can make or break a picture. It can create a mood or help

emphasize the focal point of the photograph, drawing the eye inward,

to the heart of the image.

Manipulating natural light is always a challenge. Most people

believe shooting into the sun is bad. However, using the sunlight to

backlight a picture can create a glow around a subject, which helps

accentuate the subject with a unique look.

We look for light sources already available, like window light or

lamps casting an interesting glow. Once we find the light source we

use this light to direct the viewer’s eye through the image and to

determine our composition.

The dramatic use of light is what separates ordinary photos from

extraordinary ones like Don Leach’s photo of artist E. Dewey Turner.

-Photo staff