First the Light
As most of you know, one of my favorite topics to discuss with my fellow photographers is “The Light” . You also have heard me say that the only thing that would trump great light is in street shooting where capturing a moment in time or stopping an action is more important.
In my online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind”workshops I conduct around our planet I have what I call my “Personal Pearls of Wisdom”. These are thoughts and ideas I’ve accumulated over the course of my forty-eight years as a professional photographer and my thirty-two years as a workshop instructor and teacher.
One of these Pearls that I’ve been mentioning for a very long time is, You find the light and you’ll find the shot. Time and time again when I’ve been out shooting the light has saved the day for me. I’ve also found that after all these years, the light can make just about anything look good.
Sometimes I find the subject first with light already working to my advantage, and sometimes I find the light first and place a subject in it. Since I’m not one of those so called purist that refuse to change anything in their composition ( but have no problem altering said composition in post-production), I have no problem…why you ask?
I guess it’s because of my background being in painting and not in photography. I still consider myself an artist/painter, I’ve just changed the medium from a paintbrush to a camera. To me, a camera on a tripod is just like a blank canvas on an easel…I paint…I make pictures the same way I use to paint.
In the above photo taken during my workshop/photo tour in Cuba, we where outside Havana walking around a small populated area. I saw this wall and didn’t think much of it, but as the sun came out from behind a cloud, it left this light on it. The man was standing off to one side in the shadow. I asked the man to come over and stand next to the wall in a position to get light on one half of him.
Found the light & found the shot!
The second photo was taken on the streets of Havana, where I saw the light on the wall as it silhouetted the taxi driver. I saw the light and I saw the shot.
So the next time you go out shooting look for the light all around you, and more than likely there will be a photo there just for the taking!!!
– BPSOP Instructor: Joe Baraban
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