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How to Make the Most of Light When Piecing Together Your Photo Books

There might be few things that photographers agree on but one thing is for certain; light is key. Without adequate lighting, even the best photographers in the land can struggle to put together those perfect photo books.

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Unfortunately, light can be a tricky topic to get your head around. It can take a while to get used to, or at least get used to it in a way that you can really take advantage of it and learn how to maximize the benefits.

This is the reason behind today’s guide. We will now take a look at some of the ways in which you can understand light and ultimately, use it to take better photos.

The direction of the light

In some cases, this is very simple. You simply look where the sun is, and the question of the direction is answered.

However, there are other cases where it is anything but like this. Particularly at night, you’ll have numerous sources of light, mainly due to the sheer number of artificial lights that are around. Common examples include street lights and stores, but the list in truth can be endless.

The direction of the light obviously allows you to determine where to take your photo from, or where to position your subject.

The type of light

If you’ve been around photographers in the past you might have heard all about hard and soft light. In the case of the former, this is all about direct light. This is something that tends to emphasize the subject, meaning that it is ideal for something like a landscape.

When it comes to soft light, this tends to minimize the shadows that are prevalent. It means that it is often used for portraits and similar types of photography.

The color of the light

While some of you might be under the impression that light just arrives in one color, this isn’t the case in the slightest. The color of the light you have at your disposal will vary depending on where it has come from and also, where it is passing through. You only have to look at the light from the sun, which tends to be of a “warm” color, compared to the light from a camera flash which is quite harsh and white.

The intensity of the light

Finally, let’s talk about just how intense the light is. This is exactly as the description indicates; how strong is the light that you are photographing around?

Usually, this is all down to the amount of space which is between the source of the light and the object. For example, if your subject is directly under a street light, it goes without saying that the intensity of the light is going to be exceptionally strong in comparison to if you were stood several meters away. It means that the subject is illuminated in a completely different way, which you have to manage with your shots.

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