There are times when we find ourselves in such a hurry to “grab a shot” we forget to look at our scene. Composition, camera settings, and lighting get lost in the hurry up. But even when it’s a quick “snapshot” to document a location or a friend’s visit, lighting is a crucial element to stop and notice.
In these two photos documenting a friend’s departure, the lighting came from a partly cloudy day. The camera was on self-timer and on a tripod. When I set up the camera it was shade lighting. When the first shot was taken, the cloud had passed and the bright sunshine created a high-contrast seen. (Technically speaking, the light was gross.)
I squinted and looked up to see a big cloud moving in and asked my friends to wait a few minutes so the lighting would be better. In less than 3 minutes the cloud moved in to block the sun and the light of the scene became soft and diffused. Much, much better for photographing people! The exposure is more consistent between highlights and shadows, and people open their eyes more. That three minutes was well worth the wait!
They say that, “Patience is a virtue.” I say, when it comes to photographic lighting, “Patience can be sweet!”
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