MASTER THE LIGHT

Learn how to work with different lighting conditions for more striking scenic shots with Canon professional photographer Jeremy Flint

- Jeremy Flint

As the old adage goes, if you want to capture great images, you must first master light. Light plays a key role in photography and is one of the main elements you can learn to create wonderful images, that complements composition, exposure and camera settings – but mastering light really will make a huge difference to your shots! Lighting is the optimum tool for capturing breath-taking images and an essential part of photography to get right. Ultimately, lighting can make or break an image and used correctly it gives a certain quality that can be harnessed to elevate an ordinary scene into something spectacular. The light is rarely the same and varies daily providing wonderful opportunities to capture images as it changes. Whether you are shooting during the golden hour, in natural light, on overcast days, under dramatic skies or even during the midday sun, the light will be a crucial factor in determining the outcome of your images. In this article, I will share some insights into how you can master light to help improve your Canon camera skills and capture eye-catching and dramatic photos. Here are 25 of my top tips for how to master the light…

01 Capture the first light

ONE OF the best times of day to capture landscape scenes in glorious light is during the first moments of the day. Before the sun initially rises, it can cast its glow to paint a wonderful ethereal light on distant mountains to make them stand out. These shots were captured before full sunrise where the first light illuminates part of the scene which contrasts beautifully with the areas in shadow with the shadow areas. The light at this time can be magical especially when the sky ignites with a range of colours.

02 Use shadows to add another dimension