It's all about the light

One question about photography I am often asked is…What do you look for when you are out photographing?  Most of the time, I do not look for anything specific.  Instead, what I look for is a situation that generates a mood or feeling.  Mood or feeling is determined by the light…not the quantity of light, but the quality of light.

A common mistake that a lot of people make in their photographic attempts is to place their emphasis on the wrong thing.  They tend to concentrate on the object or place in the mistaken belief that the object or place alone will generate a great photograph, without really understanding it’s not the object that matters at all.  It’s how you use light to capture the quality of that moment.

Places like the Grand Canyon or New England in the fall certainly possess a tremendous amount of potential to capture some great photographs.  But for a moment, just think about the most awe inspiring images you might have seen from those areas.  More than likely, those images were taken during a moment of exceptional lighting conditions.

You see, light is the key ingredient in a photograph.  It really doesn’t matter what your subject is.  With great light, simple ordinary things can become wonderful photographic moments. 

So, what is great light?  That is not so easy to define.  It is like trying to define great music.  A lot of the definition depends on who is listening or who is looking.  The way I define great light is like this: The light you see that falls way outside of the ordinary.  It is light that takes ordinary moments, and turns them into extraordinary memories by adding character and uniqueness to the object or location.

I really like warm soft light, the kind of light that is most often found early or late in the day.  It doesn’t necessarily mean a sunrise or sunset, but the light that is generated during those times often floods the surrounding area with soft warm light.  Also, many times where there is a contrast of light can also generate great opportunities.  Things like very cool or bluish light contrasting with very warm yellow or red light is a great time to capture extraordinary moments.  And, don’t overlook overcast days.  The soft gray light found during those moments is some of the best mood light you can use.

The point I am trying to make is simply this.  Don’t just settle for ordinary snapshots under flat or harsh light.  When you are photographing, think in terms of mood and feeling…and always think in terms of quality of light.

Keith Bridgman

Slow Down -

How often do you find yourself running around taking pictures of this or that trying to get everything you can all at once? Yeah, I know…me too. One thing I’ve learned over the years is to simply slow down when I am out. Often I will have an idea of the kind of shots I'm looking for, but sometimes it just doesn’t work…what I wanted to capture just doesn’t materialize. Sometimes when I head out I really don’t have an agenda, I just hope for nature to provide that opportunity. What I have discovered is that by slowing down and allowing time and place to work, more often than not, photo opportunities begin to materialize. 


There have been times when I’ve simply set the camera aside and found a shade tree to sit under and did just that…sit. Sometimes for hours I just enjoying being out. While I’m sitting there, I begin to notice things that become good photo ops…in many cases I notice things that have potential and deserve another look on another day, another time under different lighting conditions. Slowing down helps to jump start that visualization process and wonderful images often materialize as a result. So when you’re out and about and the moment just isn’t working for you…take time to slow down…sit a spell and wait. Nature will often begin to present itself to you in ways you might have missed otherwise.


Keith Bridgman

Time on the Prairie

I’ve had numerous people ask me why I ‘waste’ so much vacation time running up to the Tallgrass Prairie. Well…there really is no answer that would satisfy everyone who ever asked me that. The best answer that I can give is simply this: By taking time to slow down and leaving behind all other distractions..even if for just a few hours…I begin to hear the song that the prairie sings as I stand on a high point and survey the rolling landscape. To some, the prairie is just a big pasture full of weeds. To me, well I see a grand vista that has a life story to tell and a life song to sing. Sit long enough and both of those become clear and distinct. Photographing this wonderous sight is secondary to simply being there and experiencing it. No photo or series of photographs have yet truly captured what I feel and experience while there…that’s why I keep returning, because I know there is that one defining moment…that one image that awaits me…I just have to find and be ready to capture it.  


Keith Bridgman