Photography is all about light. Because of this, it’s important for you to understand how different light conditions affect your photographs.

Nowhere is this more true than when you’re taking photos outside. Different light conditions are typically not a factor when your work takes place in a studio. There you can control the light conditions and make them what you want. Outdoors, you must take the different light conditions into consideration. The quality of light outdoors can take your photos from ‘okay’ to ‘wonderful’.

The Morning Blue Hour

This is one of those different light conditions that is sometimes hard to judge. It can be the half hour before sunrise to several hours before. The sky has changed from black to a beautiful shade of blue. It is the best time to make photos of cityscapes. The balance of light from the city and deep blue from the sky makes wonderful photos. When the sky is black, there may be too much contrast, making exposure a difficult task.

The Golden Hour

Another of those different light conditions you must consider is the time right at dawn or right at sunset. For nature shots, dawn may be the best of the different light conditions. The light seems to be more subtle then than at sunset. One thing to keep in mind: Light conditions change quite a bit between the blue hour and the golden hour at dawn. During this golden hour, whether at dawn or sunset, the sun is lower in the sky allowing the atmosphere to scatter the blue light and allow more of the warm light shine through.

Fall is a really good time to utilize the different light conditions found in the golden hour, either at dawn or sunset.

Misty Conditions

Another of the different light conditions you may want to consider are those times when mist is present. Luck plays a great part in taking photos in misty conditions. Morning mists in particular add a quality to photos that make them dramatic.

We’ll discuss other of the different light conditions in next month’s post.

If you want someone else to deal with different light conditions and get great photos, you want the best photographers available to take your photos. Pixel Perfect Photography in Amherst, NH, is the perfect place to capture the magic of your moments. Karen and Kiera are waiting to do their best for you. Call 603-672-8780 to schedule a time to get together and plan how they will meet your needs.