All about light, shadows, and shades

Capturing light — how you want to show and exploit it — truly defines photography.

After all, photography literally means light writing. You can use light to paint, illuminate, mask, shadow, and color your subject almost limitlessly. Use light to your advantage to capture everything from blasting saturated color to ethereal backlit fog and mist to stark silhouettes. For more on reading light when shooting outdoors and indoors, see Chapters 5 and 6, respectively.

For great techniques on capturing light when shooting black-and-white, see Chapter 9. And for shooting in virtually no light, see Chapter 10 for the lowdown on night photography.

You can also use light and shadow at night to add depth to photographs, sometimes making them look similar to paintings. Older buildings that show wear offer your camera’s sensor a brush stroke effect in its interpretation of the light’s reflection on the worn stone.

Many of the best architecture and landscape photographs are shot at dusk. The long shadows, soft light, and reflections can create dramatic results.

Don’t be afraid to exploit contrast when calculating the proper light for exposure. After you get the hang of your camera’s auto settings, master how to set your exposures manually.