Reading the light
Hard and soft, side and back, golden and blue: how to see light before you photograph it.
Photographers often say they do not photograph things, they photograph light. The same street can look flat at noon and magical an hour before sunset. Learning to read light, its direction, its quality and its colour, will improve your photos more than any new lens. This lesson shows you what to look for.
Quality: hard and soft
The size of a light source, compared with your subject, decides whether light is hard or soft.
Hard light comes from a small source, like the sun on a clear day or a bare bulb. It makes sharp shadows and strong contrast. It can look dramatic, but on faces it shows every line and makes people squint.