Behind the Shot: How Light Tells the Story

Lighting is everything when setting up your shot, but, why is this so? In this post, I want to show how I learned to use natural lighting as a tool. Lightning can not only enhance the shot with soft or dramatic lighting, but it can also help set the mood of the shot.

By taking the time to observe the surrounding of a shot, lighting can present itself in a way that it quite unique and can help tell the story of the shot. Next time you are walking among trees, take the time to look up and observe how light dances through the treetops. Everyone and anyone can take a picture of a tree straight on, but the more unique shot is the one that you get from the sunlight or skylight dancing through the tree tops. Many times, the person behind the shot just wants the photo to be taken. They do not realize just how much of a difference lighting can impact the subject of their shot. This impact can help build a deeper story and capture moments that are much more interesting and special.

Before taking a shot, think about the setting behind what you are trying to photograph. Concentrate on the lighting. What colors is the lighting throwing off? Are these colors helping your photo or detracting? Here is where patience can pay off. You may have to wait for the light to change to shoot the best photo.

Try this exercise:

• Choose a space, a confined place outdoors.

• Place an object in this space.

• Over the period of one hour, take a photo every 10 minutes without changing the settings or setup of you cell phone. (Suggestion: If you have a tripod for your cell phone, this would be a good time to use it.)

• Analyze how the lighting changes across each photo taken.

• Choose the one that captures the best story.

What photos have you taken where the lighting a made a huge impact? Please drop your experiences in the comments. I would love to see how lighting made a difference in your shot.