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Light is essential to create a photograph.
The word “photography” means to write with light (photo = light;
graphy = to write). Thus, a key factor in producing a good photograph is good
light. When I lead a workshop or photo tour, I always profess that I’d
rather shoot a mundane subject in great light than an awe-inspiring one in flat
light. Learning how to read light, knowing how to augment it and using it to
your advantage are essential to becoming a better photographer.
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The
break of dawn can yield dramatic colors in the sky, as well as
providing you with the opportunity to shoot silhouettes. Just
look for subject matter with great shape and form, like the one
shown here—one of the Mitten Buttes in Arizona’s Monument
Valley Tribal Park.
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My favorite light in which to shoot
occurs at sunrise. One of nature’s grandest spectacles, it triggers life
to begin a new day. Pre-dawn glow awakens each day and bathes all it sees in
tones of red and orange. The cresting sun hugs all it touches in fiery yellow,
and the visible world is caressed by long shadows, shapes and textures. It’s
a magical time of day.
The warm tones and long shadows of sunrise don’t last long. If you make
mistakes, there’s no way to recreate what’s just transpired. When
the sun is higher in the sky, shadows are shorter and the light is cooler. Even
if you return the next day, the light will be different, as each sunrise is
unique. Variables that affect sunrise include moisture in the air, clouds, pollution,
haze and smoke.
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Morning
fog offers the opportunity to get great results when shooting
into the sun.
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Light constantly changes from dawn
to dusk. From mid-morning to mid-afternoon, the changes are less obvious and
happen more slowly. The most dramatic ones occur early and late in the day.
These periods are known as “sweet light” hours, as most subjects
look best in the flattering light that’s emitted at these times. The half-hour
after sunrise and the half-hour before sunset are the optimum periods, and the
best times are when the sun is closer to the horizon. Whether you’re photographing
people, architecture, or landscapes, subjects photographed in sweet light will
make for better images.
A Brand New Day
Before the sun ascends above the horizon, dramatic skies may await the prepared
photographer. Be it a clear sunrise that produces a glowing red horizon line
or a cloud-filled dawn that ignites the sky in a blaze of color, daybreak is
a great time to make photographs. Things start to happen approximately 15 minutes
prior to sunrise.
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At
sunrise, sidelit subjects reveal shape, form and texture.
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The point in the sky at which the
sun rises will begin to glow. At peak time, a band of red will appear at the
horizon. It will gradually flow into a band of orange and then yellow. This
tapers off to a white, which will transition into light blue. Higher in the
sky, the blue will grow progressively darker until it becomes cobalt. From very
warm to very cool tones, a dramatic backdrop unfolds.
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