Finding Soft Light for Photography

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Soft lighting is a sought-after technique in the world of photography. It helps in reducing harsh shadows, creating a dreamy atmosphere, and bringing out the best features in a subject. Whether you’re an amateur photographer or a seasoned professional, understanding where to find soft lighting can elevate your photographs to new heights. Here’s a guide to the best places to find soft lighting:

Golden Hour Magic

The golden hour is the short window of time just after sunrise and just before sunset. The sun is low on the horizon, casting a warm and soft glow. The shadows are long and diffused, giving images a cinematic and dreamy look. This time is ideal for portraits, landscapes, and almost any genre of photography. The exact timing of the golden hour varies depending on your geographical location and the time of year, so using apps like “Golden Hour Calculator” can be a huge help.

Overcast Days

Contrary to popular belief, a sunny day is not always a photographer’s best friend. Bright sunlight can lead to overexposed photos and harsh shadows. Overcast days, however, act as a natural diffuser, spreading the light evenly and reducing contrasts. It’s like having a massive softbox in the sky, perfect for outdoor shoots.

Shaded Areas

On a bright day, look for areas of shade, such as under a tree, an alleyway, or the shadow side of a building. These spots provide protection from the direct sun, allowing for soft lighting conditions. Remember to adjust your camera settings to account for the lower light levels.

Indoor Windows

Windows can act as natural softboxes. Position your subject near a window, but not directly facing it. The light streaming in is diffused by the glass and any curtains or blinds, creating a soft illumination. Morning is often the best time for window lighting, but it depends on the direction the window faces and any obstructions outside.

Reflectors and Diffusers

If you’re serious about achieving soft lighting, investing in reflectors and diffusers is a wise choice. Reflectors bounce light onto your subject, filling in shadows and creating an even tone. Diffusers, on the other hand, scatter light rays, turning harsh light into a gentle glow. They can be particularly helpful when shooting in midday sun.

Artificial Lighting

Sometimes, nature won’t cooperate, and you’ll need to create your own soft lighting. Softboxes, umbrellas, and LED panels are all tools that photographers use to mimic the soft, diffused light found in nature. When using artificial lighting, it’s crucial to understand the direction and intensity of the light to achieve the desired effect.

In conclusion, soft lighting is a vital tool for photographers aiming to produce ethereal, flattering, and professional images. Whether harnessing the natural glow of the golden hour, utilizing the even illumination of overcast skies, or employing tools like reflectors and softboxes, understanding and mastering soft lighting techniques can truly transform one’s photographic output. Both natural and artificial sources offer opportunities to achieve this effect, making it accessible to photographers of all levels. By being observant, adaptive, and knowledgeable about these techniques, one can elevate their photography, capturing moments in their most beautiful light.

The Magic of Twilight

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Part I – Civil Twilight

Whenever I photograph at a popular landscape photography location, I usually see a mass exodus of photographers as soon as the sun goes down. For many years, I was part of this exodus, as I believed the best light was gone as soon as the sun set. This was before I discovered the magic of twilight. Now, I see the sunset not as the end of my photo shoot, but as the beginning.

There are three stages of twilight – civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. Each of these stages lasts about 30 minutes, though it can be longer or shorter depending on where you are on the planet and what time of year it is. You can determine the exact times each of these twilight stages occurs on many websites, including the astronomy section of WeatherUnderground. You can also find this information on apps like PhotoPills or The Photographer’s Ephemeris.

The Belt of Venus shines above Utah’s Henry Mountains. f7.1, 0.3 seconds, ISO 100

The first stage of twilight after sunset and the last stage before sunrise is known as civil twilight. It occurs during the time the sun is between 0 to 6 degrees below the horizon. During this time, you can often get vibrant colors in the sky, since a lot of light from the sun is scattered and refracted by the atmosphere. The clouds may have some of the bright orange or pink glow that you would see at sunrise or sunset. You can also capture images of Earth’s shadow, which is the shadow that Earth casts on its atmosphere. This shadow will usually appear with a bright pink band of sky above it, known as the Belt of Venus or the anti-twilight arch.

If you’re lucky, you may also see anticrepuscular rays rising towards the heavens shortly after sunset. These can appear at the spot where the sun set or directly opposite the spot the sun set.

Civil twilight is an excellent time to capture images of the moon and some of the brightest stars and planets. The moon will be visible throughout this time, while some stars and planets will be visible towards the end of civil twilight in the evening (or the beginning of it in the morning).

The period when the stars and planets are just visible is often referred to as the blue hour (even though it only lasts about 20 minutes in most locations). During this time, blue wavelengths of light from the sun are more easily refracted by the atmosphere back onto the land, making the scene appear bluer than usual. This effect is most pronounced near the end of civil twilight in the evening (or the beginning of civil twilight in the morning), though it is noticeable before and after this time.

You can capture some intriguing images during the blue hour. If you are photographing something that is already blue, like the ocean, it can further deepen the blues, giving a somewhat surreal effect to the photo. This may not be as desirable if you are photographing objects that aren’t blue, as it can give the appearance of a color cast across the image. In this scenario, you can increase the white balance temperature until the colors look better.

A partially-eclipsed moon rises above Balanced Rock in Utah. f5.6, 1/10 seconds, ISO 100

During civil twilight, it will usually be light enough to get good exposures using your camera’s exposure meter. However, you should check the histogram after you take your photos. Make sure the data extends to the right side of the histogram, without blowing out any highlights.

After civil twilight in the evening comes nautical twilight.

Part II – Nautical Twilight

Although civil twilight is a great time to capture landscape photos, the magic of twilight does not end there. After civil twilight in the evening (and before it in the morning) is a period known as nautical twilight.

This stage occurs from the time the sun is 6 to 12 degrees below the horizon. During this time, you can get unique images that convey the brief moment in time between the dark of night and the light of day.

A remote natural arch is seen from a small cave in Utah. f2.8, 15 seconds, ISO 1000.

During nautical twilight, it will start to become too dark to use your camera’s exposure meter. You’ll need to switch to manual exposure on your camera. You should use the widest aperture you can, while still getting everything in focus. You’ll need to use longer and longer exposures (up to about 20 seconds) and start raising the ISO to properly expose your image and get data extending to the right side of your histogram.

It will start to look quite dark to the naked eye during nautical twilight. However, your camera can still capture light from the sun that is refracted by the atmosphere. You’ll usually get the best light on the land when facing away from the spot the sun set (or is about to rise). If, on the other hand, you face towards the direction of the sun, you can often get vivid colors in the sky above the horizon. If there was a vibrant sunset, some of the colors on the clouds might last until nautical twilight.

During the beginning of nautical twilight in the evening (or the end of it in the morning), it will often be light enough to get a good exposure of both the land and the sky with a single shot. As the light fades, you’ll likely need to combine two exposures if you want to get good detail in the land. You can take a longer exposure for the land and a shorter exposure for the sky and blend them in post-processing. I go into this in more detail in Collier’s Guide to Night Photography.

Light from a distant town bonces of clouds above Two Jack Lake in Canada. f2.8, 30 seconds, ISO 400.

The sky will appear blue throughout nautical twilight, and your camera will be able to capture quite a few stars in the sky. However, it won’t be dark enough to produce dramatic images of the Milky Way. To do this, you’ll need to wait until the next stage of twilight, called astronomic twilight.

Part III – Astronomical Twilight

After nautical twilight in the evening (and before it in the morning) is a period known as astronomical twilight. This stage of twilight occurs when the sun is 12-18 degrees below the horizon. The sky will appear almost completely dark to the naked eye, but there will still be some light from the sun refracted through the atmosphere that can be picked up by a camera.

At the beginning of astronomical twilight in the evening, the sky will still have a bluish color to it. If there is no moon out, the sky will fade to purple and then to black at the end of twilight. There may also be some reds or yellows in the direction the sun set (or is about to rise).

If there is no moon or a thin crescent moon, the skies will become sufficiently dark that you will be able to capture many stars and the Milky Way in your images. If there is a brighter moon out, the light from it will likely overpower any light refracted through the atmosphere from the sun. Your images will look about the same as photos taken under a moon in the dark of night – the sky will appear blue, the foreground will be lit up, and some stars will be obscured.

The Milky Way rises above Dead Horse Point in Utah. Stacked images, f1.8, 13 seconds, ISO 1600.

Even if there is no moon out, you can still get a little light on the foreground if you are facing away from the spot the sun set (or is about to rise). However, unless you are photographing something with a very bright, reflective surface, you’ll probably need to illuminate the foreground with a flashlight or stack multiple exposures, as described in my book Collier’s Guide to Night Photography, to get good detail throughout the image.

You will need to use a manual exposure setting to capture photos during astronomical twilight. You should generally use the widest aperture on your lens and a higher ISO setting of around 1600 to get good exposures. Your shutter speed can be set using the rule of 500 to keep the star trails to a minimum. Just take 500 divided by the focal length of your lens to get the exposure time in seconds (for cropped sensors, you’ll need to multiply by the crop factor of your lens to get the effective focal length). For example, if you use a 24mm lens, you would take 500 / 24 = 20.8. So 20 seconds would be your exposure time.

Fortunately, you won’t have to stop shooting after the end of astronomical twilight in the evening. There will no longer be light refracted through the atmosphere, but you can often get some green and red color in the sky from airglow. The skies will also be at their darkest, making it a great time to shoot the Milky Way. There really is no bad time to shoot at night. You can take images as soon as the sun sets and keep shooting as long as you want, while the light of day fades into the blackness of night.

Night Photography Tricks: The Fun, the Difficult, and the Magical

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Night photography is enchanting, taking us into a world where light dances mysteriously against the vast canvas of the dark. Whether you’re a seasoned photographer or someone just starting out, venturing into the realm of night photography can introduce you to a host of challenges. But with challenges come opportunities for mesmerizing shots that truly stand out. Here are some of the most fun and difficult night photography tricks you can try.

Night Photo captured by Brad West

1. Star Trails

  • The Fun: Capturing the movement of stars as the Earth rotates can result in ethereal images.
  • The Challenge: This requires a clear night, a sturdy tripod, and patience. You need long exposures or multiple shorter exposures that are later combined in post-processing.

2. Light Painting

  • The Fun: Use flashlights, glow sticks, or any light source to “paint” in the dark while the shutter remains open.
  • The Challenge: Mastering this technique requires understanding the behavior of light, controlling the light sources, and sometimes even choreographing movements.

3. Steel Wool Spinning

  • The Fun: Create a cascade of sparks that look like a shower of meteors.
  • The Challenge: Safety first! You’ll be setting steel wool on fire and spinning it, so ensure you’re in a safe, open space, and have a fire extinguisher or water source nearby.

4. Capturing Bioluminescence

  • The Fun: Natural light shows caused by living organisms, like plankton, in the water.
  • The Challenge: Bioluminescence is unpredictable and can be faint, so getting a crisp shot without noise can be tough.

5. Bokeh Shapes

  • The Fun: Transform city lights or distant lights into unique shapes like hearts, stars, or any design you craft.
  • The Challenge: You’ll need to create a custom bokeh filter for your lens or buy one. The real challenge is achieving the right focus and distance for a clear bokeh effect.

6. Time-Lapse Photography

  • The Fun: Compressing hours into seconds, this method showcases the motion of stars, clouds, and cityscapes.
  • The Challenge: Requires patience, a consistent setting on the camera, and post-processing skills to stitch together the images or video frames.

7. Moonlit Landscapes

  • The Fun: Harness the power of the moon to light your landscapes, turning nighttime scenes into dreamy, day-like images.
  • The Challenge: The brightness of the moon can vary, and if it’s too bright, it may overpower the stars. Balancing the moonlight with other elements can be tricky.

8. Neon and Sign Reflections

  • The Fun: After a rain shower, city streets can turn into mirrors, reflecting neon signs and street lights.
  • The Challenge: Finding the right angle and ensuring the reflections are vivid and sharp, not muddled.

9. Silhouettes and Shadows

  • The Fun: Using sparse light sources, like streetlights or moonlight, to cast dramatic shadows or silhouettes.
  • The Challenge: Getting the right contrast and ensuring the silhouette or shadow retains its shape and detail.

10. Astro Self-Portraits

  • The Fun: Place yourself in the vast expanse of a starry sky or under the arch of the Milky Way.
  • The Challenge: Balancing the light on yourself, often using a dim light source, while keeping the stars or Milky Way prominent.

Remember, the real fun in night photography is in the experimentation. Challenges will arise, but they’re merely stepping stones towards getting that magical shot. So grab your gear, head out under the cloak of darkness, and let the night be your muse.

Cityscape Photography Tips

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Cityscape photography, often viewed as the urban cousin of landscape photography, captures the man-made wonder of our urban environments. Whether you’re aiming to capture the grandeur of towering skyscrapers, the dance of city lights, or the daily buzz of urban life, the right techniques and tools can make a world of difference.

Understanding Cityscape Photography

At its core, cityscape photography encapsulates the beauty, architecture, and vibrancy of urban landscapes. From the neoclassical edifices of Europe to the cutting-edge skyscrapers of Asia, cityscapes tell stories of progress, history, and human ambition.

Essential Equipment for Cityscape Photography

Lenses:

  • Wide-angle lens (10-24mm): Ideal for capturing sweeping vistas of urban jungles.
  • Telephoto lens (70-200mm): Perfect for zooming in on intricate architectural details or isolating subjects against a vast city backdrop.

Tripod: A sturdy tripod is invaluable. For shots with long exposures, like capturing the streaks of cars or the gentle flow of water, a tripod ensures your camera stays still and your images are crisp.

Helpful Filters:

  • Polarizer: Helps to reduce reflections, particularly useful for buildings with glass facades.
  • Neutral Density (ND) filter: Essential for achieving long exposure effects during bright daylight.

Optimal Camera Settings for Cityscapes

  • Mode: Opt for Manual (M) if you’re familiar with settings or Aperture Priority (Av/A) if you’d like the camera to determine the shutter speed.
  • Aperture: A range of f/8 to f/16 offers a good depth of field, ensuring both foreground and background elements are in focus.
  • Shutter Speed: This will vary based on your desired effect. For capturing light trails, you’ll need longer exposures. To freeze the bustle of the city, opt for faster speeds.
  • ISO: To keep images noise-free, aim for ISO 100-400. Only increase the ISO in situations where light is limited and using a tripod isn’t feasible.

Timing is Everything

  • Blue Hour: This magical time, either before sunrise or after sunset, provides a serene blue tint to the sky, making city lights truly pop.
  • Golden Hour: Occurring shortly after sunrise or just before sunset, this time bathes the city in a warm and soft light, perfect for capturing the city’s glow.
  • Night: As cities come alive with lights, shooting at night can showcase the city’s vibrant nocturnal personality.

Pro Tips for Exceptional Cityscapes

  • Bracketing: This involves taking several shots of the same scene at different exposures. Later, these can be blended in post-processing to achieve a balanced and detailed image, also known as High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging.
  • Focusing in Low Light: When the camera struggles to autofocus in dim settings, switch to manual focus. Using the Live View mode, zoom in on a well-defined part (like a building’s edge) and adjust the focus manually.
  • Depth of Field: If your scene includes a prominent foreground element, like a statue or fountain, consider focus stacking. This technique involves taking multiple shots with different focus points and merging them in post-production to achieve an image that’s sharp from front to back.

Cityscape photography, like all art forms, thrives on experimentation. While these guidelines provide a solid starting point, the true essence and vibe of a city can best be captured when photographers bring their unique perspective and creativity into play. So, head out, explore the urban wilderness, and most importantly, enjoy the process of immortalizing cityscapes. Happy shooting!

Waterfall Photography Debate: Fast vs. Slow Shutter Speeds

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Waterfall photography is a genre that captivates many with its ethereal beauty and dynamic compositions. One of the age-old debates within this realm is whether to use fast or slow shutter speeds when capturing waterfalls. Both approaches have their merits and can produce breathtaking results. Here, we’ll dive deep into the argument, exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

1. Fast Shutter Speeds: Freezing the Action

Using a fast shutter speed means that the camera’s sensor is exposed to light for a very brief period.

Advantages:

  • Detail Capture: A fast shutter can freeze every droplet, allowing for a detailed capture of the water’s texture and movement.
  • Reality Reflection: This method offers a more “realistic” portrayal of the scene as our eyes see it.
  • Safety: In certain lighting conditions, a fast shutter speed might prevent overexposure.

Disadvantages:

  • Potential for Flatness: If not executed well, the photograph can feel lifeless or static, lacking the inherent motion and energy of a waterfall.
  • Higher ISO Requirement: To compensate for the reduced light from the quick shutter, you might need to increase the ISO, which could introduce noise to the photo.

2. Slow Shutter Speeds: Creating a Silky Effect

When photographers use slow shutter speeds for waterfalls, the camera sensor is exposed to light for an extended period, often necessitating the use of a tripod to prevent camera shake.

Advantages:

  • Ethereal Feel: The prolonged exposure creates a milky or silky effect in the moving water, often evoking a dreamy, surreal atmosphere.
  • Enhanced Mood: This method can amplify the mood, whether it’s tranquil, majestic, or mysterious.
  • Low ISO: With a slower shutter, there’s more light hitting the sensor, allowing photographers to use a lower ISO, potentially yielding cleaner shots.

Disadvantages:

  • Loss of Texture: The slow shutter speed might smooth out interesting textures and details in the water.
  • Risk of Overexposure: Especially in bright conditions, there’s a risk of overexposing parts of the photo, which can lose details in the highlights.
  • Need for Stability: Achieving a sharp photo with a slow shutter speed almost always requires a tripod or stabilizing equipment.

Striking a Balance:

Instead of staunchly adhering to one method, many photographers adopt a balanced approach. Here are some tips:

  • Evaluate the Scene: The nature of the waterfall, its surroundings, and the lighting conditions should guide your decision.
  • Bracketing: Try capturing multiple shots at varying shutter speeds and choose the best later or blend them in post-production.
  • Use ND Filters: Neutral Density (ND) filters allow for slower shutter speeds even in bright conditions by reducing the amount of light entering the lens.

Conclusion:

While the debate between fast and slow shutter speeds for waterfall photography continues, what’s undeniable is the beauty of the subject. Both methods have their place, and the choice often comes down to personal preference and the story one wishes to convey. Whether you’re a fan of the crisp clarity of fast shutter speeds or the dreamlike quality of slow ones, mastering both techniques will only enhance your versatility and creativity as a photographer.