Drawn By Light

As most photographers will say, a successful image needs good light. Composition, subject matter and so forth certainly play a part but first and foremost it's all about the light. Many a holiday snapshot comes back from the lab looking dull and flat or, at the other extreme, harsh and contrasty, simply because most people don't think about lighting. That's not to say this is a bad thing however – for these people the photo is a memory, a record of where they've been, something to look at in years to come and get drawn into a nostalgic daydream.

For the more discerning snapper though, good light is fundamental. Good light can sometimes make even the dullest scene interesting, it can instil in everyday objects a sense of romanticism and it can provoke deep emotional responses in the viewer. Take this example, a photo of Lochranza Castle on the island of Arran, near Scotland:

Many who visit are impressed by the beauty of the location but thisfeeling is difficult to capture in a photograph. This is where the good light is essential: without it the image above would be dull and rather lifeless, far removed from what I felt upon viewing the scene.

But it does not need to end there. Artists have known for centuries that certain combinations of colours and shades can make people feel something about what they're seeing and the same concept applies to photography. Certain photographs are almost entirely based on light and form, subject matter being largely irrelevant; these images are about abstraction. They may indeed have familiar elements but the familiarity is not a necessity. An example is an photo of the front door of my old flat:

A simple image, but the soft light and geometric nature of the image fascinates me, and I struggle to understand why. This is really what interests me most about photography: understanding why images like this resonate with my emotions.

caerphoto

Drawn By Light

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