Day 28 - August Challenge

Challenge - "Light"

Suggested by - Wendy via Facebook

Light - well, what can I say?!!

Light is so important in our life for almost everything and for a photographer, it can be our best friend or our worst enemy. But what is true, get the light right and it makes for absolutely stunning photographs. For example, one of the most recent images for which the light was perfect, was the mother and baby on Day 25 Light can turn a good image into cracker, and as a photographer, I am always looking for the light: interesting, warm, glittery, there are so many forms of light to look out for. Side lit, back lit, all can be more interesting than just the full-in-the-face light of the middle of the day. Working as a photography tutor, I have often heard the exclamation "The light is wrong" when for example, it has been absolutely gorgeous back lit evening light. Work with it not against it, I say!

Which brings me on to two spells of light which can be the most magical of all - the 'Golden Hours'. The hour as the sun rises and the hour as the sun sets (Depending on where in the world, this period can be longer or shorter than an hour). This is when the light can be at its most stunning. We mustn't forget that without light, we wouldn't have photography. The whole process of creating an image is dependent on how much light reaches the film or the sensor. The dark room process also needs light to produce the final image. So it might come as no surprise then, to learn that the word photography is actually derived from the Greek photo = light, graphy = draw or write. Thus it is often referred to as 'Drawing (or sometimes extending to painting) with light'

And that is literally what I did today, I drew with light. It is one of those fun things that photography groups often workshop, and everyone has seen a similar effect when taking pictures of sparklers on bonfire night. Here, I set up a blacked out room, set the camera up on a tripod with a bulb release, and with a little torch, I practised my handwriting - lots of handwriting - 26 times to be precise! (It's tricky back-to-front and sideways!) And then, I couldn't help my graphic design blood creeping in. For the first time during this month, I have produced a composite image - I added a bit of bokeh sparkle, taken of sunlight passing through some cut glass earlier today.

So, I hope you don't mind my 'creative take' on the subject "Light", Wendy. Quite, quite different from those lovely lights you sell!




The grab shot

My thanks to:
Wendy for the suggestion
Our black mutt for getting under my feet in the dark!








Tomorrow, Day 29

"Clarinet and player"