It's all about the light!

Good photography has a number of elements, but one of the biggest differentiators between an outstanding photograph and just a good one is the quality of light. Mid-day light is often harsh and can cast unflattering shadows on your subject. However, light at the beginning and end of the day, periods often referred to as the Golden Hour (the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset), can make an ordinary shot into much more.

Look at the difference between these two photos.

This shot has magical light, that casts a soft glow on these winter grasses. The subject is highlighted against the receeding grasses, and the plume really stands o ut.

On a wintery dark and overcast day, the same subject is flat and uninteresting.

In this case, the plume doesn't stand out against the background, so the entire photo looks cluttered and busy, with no strong focal point to catch your eye.

One of the common suggestions for capturing even, pleasing light is to shoot on bright overcast days or in bright shade. This means that the sun may be neutralized by clouds, but the cloud cover is not so thick as to make the day dark. The rose below has very even lighting across the entire photo and does not suffer from blown out highlights or harsh shadows. Flowers with many petals and intricate details work well in this light, because the entire subject is rendered softly.

Compare the two photos below. The first poppy is appealing with the freshness of the raindrops, but the strong light has resulted in some blown-out highlights and a choppy overall effect. Also, the light reflecting off the leaves in the back draws your eye away from the main subject.

By contrast, the bright shade on the poppy below has resulted in many layers that are even and add depth and interest to the photo. The colors are rich and saturated, and the background bokeh is blurred enough to enhance, rather than detract, from the photo.

So remember,, it's all about the light. If you can capture shots during the Golden Hours, you may get some striking shots. But good photos can also be make other times of day, particularly during bright, overcast periods or in bright, open shade. Hope you can get out and shoot today:)