It's all about the light

It might be more accurate to say that "it's all about understanding the light".

As has been stressed already, wonderful images can be created with virtually any light, the key is the photographer's knowledge and understanding (and a healthy dose of dumb luck). Recognising different types of light, knowing how they will affect your image, knowing how to react to them, and knowing how to control and/or manipulate them are vital.
 
One thing that dawned on me recently is that not only are time of day and year important in determining light levels and quality, but geographical location is also a massive factor! For example, I think a lot of folks in the wedding photography field cast covetous glances at photographers from around California. Now, of course it helps that the top wedding photographers there are also shooting very beautiful people in very beautiful settings, but there's also something about the light out there... I feel like you just don't ever get that particular kind of light this far up in the northern hemisphere (i.e. the UK).
 
harryduns said:
One thing that dawned on me recently is that not only are time of day and year important in determining light levels and quality, but geographical location is also a massive factor! For example, I think a lot of folks in the wedding photography field cast covetous glances at photographers from around California. Now, of course it helps that the top wedding photographers there are also shooting very beautiful people in very beautiful settings, but there's also something about the light out there... I feel like you just don't ever get that particular kind of light this far up in the northern hemisphere (i.e. the UK).
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I've said this before, and while I can think of no scientific reason for it, the light just IS different in different places. I remember Vancouver having some amazing light.. it just looked different somehow.

Some places though, there are easily explained differences. Equatorial regions have very short twighlight periods compared to places of greater latitude. The golden hour is more like a golden 30 minutes. In the Arctic regions... the golden hour lasts all day at certain times of the year :)
 
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harryduns said:
One thing that dawned on me recently is that not only are time of day and year important in determining light levels and quality, but geographical location is also a massive factor! For example, I think a lot of folks in the wedding photography field cast covetous glances at photographers from around California. Now, of course it helps that the top wedding photographers there are also shooting very beautiful people in very beautiful settings, but there's also something about the light out there... I feel like you just don't ever get that particular kind of light this far up in the northern hemisphere (i.e. the UK).
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Sorry Harry, but I have to correct you, and maybe inform some other Wedding Photographers who haven't had the opportunity to visit the West Coast.
I work for a large U.S. Corporation, headquartered in California, and as such have had a great deal of exposure to the State. Please, do not hold Californians as any more beautiful as the people of Bolton, Birmingham or Bristol! I've spent many a day looking for the elusive Gal from Cal. It's all Hollywood hoop.
Granted, you'll find the toothy, plastic, tanned bimbo from LA, but they are very rare.
Don't get me wrong, I love the place and always start my hols in San Francisco, but quickly head in land for Nevada (yes, I love a few days in Vegas)
Back on topic, Light. yes, IMHO, Light is good but by far and away the most important factor, as others have pointed out, is contrast and composition. That makes the shot you want to keep looking at.
 
northernbiff said:
Sorry Harry, but I have to correct you, and maybe inform some other Wedding Photographers who haven't had the opportunity to visit the West Coast.
I work for a large U.S. Corporation, headquartered in California, and as such have had a great deal of exposure to the State. Please, do not hold Californians as any more beautiful as the people of Bolton, Birmingham or Bristol! I've spent many a day looking for the elusive Gal from Cal. It's all Hollywood hoop.
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I think you slightly misinterpreted me there, sorry if I was unclear; I certainly wasn't saying that I think Californians are more beautiful than anyone else on average, I was merely saying high end wedding photographers get to photograph beautiful people in beautiful places and so that's what we see when we look at their body of work (or more specifically their edited portfolio) ;) My point was more about the light quality rather than the people and places, to be honest. My guess would be that there are probably a higher number of beautiful people in LA for example than in most other US cities, but that would be because young, beautiful people flock there from all over the States (and world) to try and make it in the movie industry rather than becasue Californians themselves are naturally beautiful!

I lived in DC for a while but never got the chance to visit the West Coast myself sadly. Plenty of good looking folk in DC though - I met my wife there, for a start! ;)
 
Apology accepted Harry.
Just kidding.
You are of course correct, the light has a quality.
I am also fortunate in working for the same corp that has a presence in South Africa, specifically, Cape Town. That is a region that has a similar light quality as the West Coast and during their summer months, the region attracts cinema and still photographers from a round the globe...........it also might have something to do with it being dirt cheap to eat drink and .......be merry and gay(in the happy way too)
 
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