MIRROR EFFECT You can amplify the impact of natural light by including water in your compositions
© Ryszard Lomnicki
The changing position of the sun throughout the day creates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, colour and contrast. From cold dark blues of night, the colour evolves into warm sunrise hues and then cooler blues towards the middle of the day, before getting warmer in the afternoon and evening. We can’t control the natural light, but with experience and technical knowledge we can harness its qualities for our photos.
The quality of light is determined by various factors, with three being especially important: temperature, direction and weather. Light is measured in colour temperatures, with low temperatures producing a warm light that adds yellow and orange hues to a scene, and high temperatures producing coolerm=, blue-dominated colour schemes. The higher the colour temperature, the more the contrast is reduced. The direction of light is crucial, as a balanced combination of colours and shadows can be achieved when the camera is positioned perpendicular to the sun. To add even more drama, shoot directly into the sun.