Follow The Light

The root of Photography is light and the common denominator of great photos is great lighting. You may have wonderful creativity, you might be phenomenal at post-editing, maybe an uber-expensive camera in your bag, but the light is the foundation and if it’s lacking it’s very difficult to produce a solid photo. George Eastman, the Founder of Kodak, once said “Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” When I’m shooting a landscape I first seek out the light then the scene that compliments and is enhanced by that light . I might be looking for sun rays piercing through clouds, or perhaps squeezing through a valley. I may bring my own light, a flashlight to illuminate an interesting foreground or a drone equipped with lights to light paint a tree or an object in the distance. If it’s a portrait I might be using the sun right before it sets or a strobe to create something moody. Let’s take it even further as in the photo above where I light painted with burning steel wool to create the streaks of light showering on the subject. Whatever it may be, the light is the first check box and allow it to guide you.