Quality of light is important in a photo .
Quality of light is an important thing in photography, it can make a big difference in the rendering and impact of a photo. I always try to have the best light for my subjects and that means going out early. Sure you can take great photos in beautiful light at other times of the day but i prefer the mornings because there is often fog, frost or dew and those also adds impact in combination with the beautiful light !
Here is the same subject but in different light, see how the look and feeling is affected by the quality of the light:
I took this photo before sunrise with flat light, i think it doesn’t do the subject justice.
I took this photo later when the sun was up and hitting the wall sideways. I prefer this one because the sidelight show the texture better and is less flat.
Both photos taken with Canon T3i, 70-200mm/4 L on a tripod.
Some subjects demand flat even light and some needs directional light to have more impact.
This one have very subtle sidelight, just enough to accentuate the raindrop marks in the mud.
Pentax K-01, DFA 100mm Macro WR, tripod.
Backlight is a very effective light for transluscent subject.
Pentax K-01, DFA 100mm Macro WR.
Fog help to tame high DR landscape,it’s easier to expose the shot.
Pentax K-01, DA 20-40mm Ltd WR, tripod.
My yearly photo day at “La Rouge” river.
For some years now i like to go shooting photos along the ” La Rouge” river in Grenville sur-La-Rouge, there is a dirt road that runs along the river that offers beautiful point of views. My favorite time of the year to go is autumn not just because of the beautiful colors of the trees but also because there is often fog early in the morning. So this year is a great year for formation of fog, we have sunny warm days and colder nights without clouds, so i was able to easily plan my visit there.
I was up early so i could be there just before sunrise, it’s about 1h15 minutes drive from my home, it paid off, there was fog in the lower valleys and on the river !
Here is the sunrise i was granted from my early drive, i did use a Graduated ND filter, wish i had a stronger one.
Pentax K-01 with DA*50-135mm, tripod.
I finally got on the dirt road and was happy to see lots of thick fog over the river which gave me more time to shoot before the sun was able to evaporate all that fog.
I zoomed to about 250mm to get that perspective of the fog over the river.
Canon T3i with 70-300mm IS, Tripod.
Island on the river in the morning sun.
Canon T3i with 70-300mm IS, Tripod.
The opposite banks of the river also getting some warm morning light.
Canon T3i with 70-300mm IS, Tripod.
I used a long enough shutter speed to show movement of the fog.
Canon T3i with 15-85mm IS, 1/2 sec. at f/11, Tripod.
I was near the end of the dirt road and the sun was getting higher in the sky and the fog was nearly all gone by now. I suddenly saw this field on my right with steam coming out of those hay bales, i stopped immediately and ran with my gear in the field!
Pentax K-01 with DA*50-135, Tripod.
I tried different lenses and point of view, here i used my 15-85mm at the 20mm setting and used the built-in flash to get some fill-in light in the shadow part of the bale.
Canon T3i with 15-85mm IS, Tripod.
I like the B&W conversion of that shot better than the color one.
Canon T3i with 70-300mm IS, Tripod.
It’s always a joy to shoot photos along that river and i get different opportunities each time i go there, it’s also a good place to see Deer and Turkey Vultures but this i didn’t saw any close enough for my lens. Well maybe next year !
Bring a camera with you as often as possible
It’s probably not the first time that you hear that tip, but now the photographers have more and more choices of high quality compact camera systems that are easy to bring everywhere without having a 25 pounds camera bag to lug around !
Great shots can happen everywhere and at anytime, having a camera with you even if you don’t have the “right lens” for the photo, it forces you to compose with the equipment you have. The light might not look good right now but you never know when it can change into something spectacular.
Family activities: In september 2010 i went with my family (my wife and my 2 girls) at our local “base de plein-air” (summer camp), it’s a forested area where the kids can play, walk in the trails, skate…
I brought my DSLR with just 2 or 3 lenses but i always have my Macro lens with me since even in bad light i can manage to take a shot of a small subject. While my kids were playing i was looking around in the forest and suddenly saw a Gray Tree frog at the base of a big tree. The frog was very well camouflaged on the moss covered trunk and made a great shot.
Pentax K20D, Pentax DFA100mm Macro WR, tripod.
Before going to work: Nearly everyday that i’m going to work i bring a camera with me, sometimes it’s my full Pentax DSLR kit and sometimes it’s my NEX-3 with some lenses depending on what i expect to photograph. I don’t always come home with a good shot or not necessarily always take photos. Luck will be on your side one day and you will have beautiful light on a great subject or you will encounter an animal that will let you take unexpected photos ! By having my camera with me i was able to take some very good photos over the years and at the same time enjoying the natural world.
Here are shots i took on my way to work this year:
Pentax K20D, Pentax DA*50-135mm, ISO 100 at f/11, tripod, MLU
Pentax K20D, Pentax DA*50-135mm, MLU, tripod.
Pentax K20D, Pentax DFA 100mm Macro WR, handheld, SR activated.
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