What Makes Great Light? - Shoot the Angles

A line of thin clouds drifted a few degrees above the western horizon as the sun hovered between their opaque layers. This late afternoon light just before sundown cast a softly, shadowed, golden glow across the corn stubble field spread out in front of me. I hunkered behind a makeshift blind made of camouflaged burlap with my camera peeking over the top edge. Dressed in full camo myself I hoped to blend into the dark green backdrop a cluster of cedar trees provided. 

Across the field almost directly in line with the setting sun a few deer meandered here and there feeding on various shoots and probably spilled corn that still sat in the fields. One of them was a young little buck with what appeared to be a set of spike antlers, but turned out to be a set of six point antlers that protruded almost straight up. The closer he came, the more photos I snapped, none of which I felt were too exciting. Just as he approached the woods to my right, he stopped and the sun slipped below the thin veil of clouds throwing a warm glow across the field and into the woods. The little buck turned toward the woods and lifted his antlered head with an alert posture. The angle of the sun was such that only a few highlights accented across his form and the edge of the woods were bright enough to see clearly. I adjusted my exposure, purposely underexposing the image so just the highlights would become prominent. I snapped a couple of shots just before he again dropped his head and meandered into the woods.

Later that evening as I thumbed through the images from the days shoot, I wasn't impressed with all that many of them. Most were simply ordinary, until I came across this last series. With a closer look, the image stood apart from all the rest as the light created a unique look, a look that was enhanced by the angle and color of the light.

What makes good light when it applies to photography? The answer of course is rather subjective as it depends a great deal on what you attempting to photograph. However, when I dig into the question as it applies to how I approach photography, it becomes apparent that the angle of the light is a key ingredient. If you follow this blog very much at all, you will discover that many of the articles deal with light and how it by far is the most important element in nature or landscape photography. Subject matter is important for sure, but without extraordinary light, any natural subject will look, well...ordinary. 

When I browse through my favorite images, one thing stands out; virtually all of them were made using light coming from an angle. Angled light is what creates shadows and highlights. It also illuminates the subject in ways that direct light cannot. Angled light will often penetrate through the subject generating a luminosity that will often set the subject aglow. This after-glow gives life to the subject, especially things in nature like plants and clouds, and small critters. It brings out detail that would not be seen otherwise. It really does not matter what your subject is whether it be a person, a wild animal, a tree, a cloud, a single leaf, a flower, a drop of water...I could go on and on, angled light is the key to capturing mood and emotion.

 A single flower illuminated with front light may capture a technically good photograph of the flower suitable as an illustration, but will stir little or no emotion from the viewer...and being able to generate emotion is what sets apart ordinary photos, from extraordinary photos.

Even soft diffused light can be considered angled light because the light comes from all angles and thus illuminates the subject along with the background with a natural glow. This can also be used creatively within a wooded environment where only diffused light filters downward, through the canopy of trees to cast a muffled arrangement of light onto the subject.

Angled light is what I look for whenever I am in the field regardless of the conditions. Some days are better than others, sometimes it just does not happen, and other times you hit it just right.

 So, what makes great light? Well, it is light that falls outside the ordinary to enhance the moment, suspending your imagination beyond what is simply visible, to transport your imagination into the sublime where awe is not only inspired, but is potentially elevated into excellence.