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Light

... blog post:

 

“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.” - George Eastman

Photography is all about light. We know this because we all have so many ways of describing it. Backlight, sidelight, daylight, dark light, warm light, front light, toplight, flash light, blue light, twilight, bright light, candle light, sunlight, liminal light, moonlight, first light, city light, half light, green light, half light, fire light, limelight, neon light, cold light, torch light, catchlight, spotlight and so on.

We also know it because you can't make a photograph without it, obviously. You know, drawing with light on a photo sensitive medium etc. - the definition of photography.

But it's surprising how many people who snap away with their cameras don't get this and whose images are flat, boring and lack mood, depth and impact as a consequence. The magic ingredient of the quality of the light is missing.

There is an old saw that goes, “Amateurs worry about equipment, Professionals worry about time, Masters worry about light” and this is reflected in direct proportion in the attitudes and interests of those who inhabit the world of photography.and the various social, web sites, blogs and vlogs on the 'interweb'.

The majority view out there seems to be that if the technology produces super sharp, perfectly exposed, low noise images in the dark in coal cellar when viewed at 400% magnification at the touch of a button and at a higher and higher 'resolution' then that's all that matters. Snap away without consideration at anything and everything, stick the myriad of resultant images on Instagram or whatever in hope of 'likes' and then forget them soon afterwards; modern digital photography.

 

Then there is the serious minority who pursue the mastery of light about whom you often read little and are hard to find but worth seeking out. The masters of light like Fulvio Bulgani and his amazing dark light images of people in Cuba. There are many others like him to be found working away quietly out there.

 

As for me, I am still on the road, seeking mastery...

✧ Jokul Frosti ✧

A space containing the thoughts, experiences, photos and collected curiosities of a walkabout photographer with a snapshot style.