Photography Tip # 11: Quality is your first priority

Okay, so maybe it isn't. But when it comes to light and photography, perhaps it should be. When a photographer talks about the quality of light, what they are usually talking about is the temperature or color of the light. Good quality light is generally a focus of landscape photographers, but it can certainly be used to the advantage of any photographer in making an image.

Good quality light can usually be found naturally from sunsets and sunrises. However, sometimes after a passing storm at the end of the day, you'll find the sky lit up with beautiful orange or pink clouds, which turns everything into a giant glow of warm and comforting colors. The next time this happens, "Get thee thy camera and runneth thyself onward!" Or in other words, go take some pictures. Quality light is worth waiting for, so if you want it, be willing to get out there during the "golden hours", which is the hour or so before dark or after the sunrise.

So what is low-quality light? Well, truthfully, beggars can't be choosers, so if you just want to be able to take photos, all light is your friend. But the worse times of the day to get soft and colorful light would be at night (duh), or during the harsh lighting of midday. This is when the light is the most direct and (blindingly) brightest and colorless.

So the next time you are planning on shooting, keep in mind the quality of the light that you are working with. You might just find that good planning will really pay off.