The Most Important Lesson For Any Photographer

I am willing to bet for the better part of you visiting this page will get this question wrong.

If I was to ask you what do you take pictures of, most of you would respond saying, People, Kids, Scenery, or Animals.

Although those answers would make sense, but the fact of the matter is everyone of them are wrong. There has not been a soul on this planet who has ever taken a picture of People, Kids,Scenery, or Animals EVER.

There is only one subject you can take a picture of. That subject is ( drum roll please ) Light. umm... I don't think you got it so let me stress this again.. Light! , Light!.

Hmmm... Nope I still don't feel ya getting it so one more time.

No one has ever took a picture of People,Places, or Things, but of only light that is being reflected by that person, place, or thing. No one has ever taken a picture of a mountain, or a lake, only the light that is being reflected by the mountain or lake.

Light is the only thing a camera will record, rather it would be film or digital. Light!

Did you know that the word, photography is Latin for "Drawing With Light'

Light will make or break your pictures. Understanding light can improve your photography by ten fold.

You can take a fairly mundane subject, and in the right light, can become absolutely gorgeous. I am sure you have seen this before, a plain field on a fairly clouded day , when the light is just breaking through parts of the clouds, that the same plain field suddenly becomes breathtaking, and will make a beautiful photograph. Heck even weeds when cought in the right light can become luminous.

But in the wrong light the most beautiful people, landscapes, or animals can become boring. So when you are about to take a picture, your first question should be.    

If you can "see the light" , you can make a beautiful photo using the light from a window pain and a plain piece of cardboard as a reflector.

But if you can't see the light, all the lenses, studio equipment, or photoshop in the world will not save your photo's.

So the next time you see something you think might be a perfect shot, think first of the type of lighting that's on and around your subject, and then make the right adjustments to get that perfect picture.