Garden Photography Primer – Part 3 – Let There Be Light!
By Donna Krischan
Text and pictures © 2007

Light is the essence of photography. To a great degree, the nature of the light helps to determine the mood or feel of a photograph. When we refer to the nature of the light, we are referring to its color, intensity and angle.

Although we do not always see or recognize it with our eyes, light varies widely in its color and film is very sensitive to this color. Early morning and late afternoon light is usually described as being very warm, incorporating yellows and oranges. Shady areas tend to be described as having a cool blue light. A dark stormy sky produces a neutral gray light, allowing the actual colors of flowers and foliage to be revealed. Some of my favorite photographs were taken in the calm right before or right after an intense storm.

The intensity of light varies widely throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky and is greatly affected by cloud cover. Dappled or dancing light occurs as the sun filters down through the leaves of trees and shrubs. Varying degrees of shade occur under trees depending on the density of their canopy. Buildings and other structures cast changing amounts of shade as the position of the sun moves over time.

The angle of the sun is low in the early morning and late afternoon, which casts long narrow shadows. Combined with a high intensity light, this low angle of light can produce great opportunities for photographing subjects that are backlit - appearing to have a glow around them. At midday, when the sun is overhead, shadows are directly below and are very intense. Most photographers take a nap at this time because film does not handle this broad range of light. Our eyes can still see detail within this broad range, but the contrast is too great for film to record. Bright areas become a detailess white and dark areas go completely black.

When photographing in the garden, I prefer a broadly diffused light. It gives my photographs a soft, airy feel. This type of light often occurs early in the morning before the sun burns away the haze or any time there are thin clouds high in the sky. With these conditions, it is bright but there are no heavy shadows. 

Oftentimes these ideal conditions are few and far between or you can't get out to shoot when they occur. So, if the light is too bright, try modifying it. This doesn't work if you want to shoot large garden vistas but can get you out to do plant portraits and close-ups. There are a number of tools available to photographers to accomplish this including reflectors, diffusers and electronic flash. 

On bright sunny days, use a reflector to redirect sunlight into the darker areas. By filling in the shadows with light, there is less contrast between the brightest and darkest areas. You can purchase different shapes, sizes and colors of reflectors - silver, gold and white are the most popular. I use 12" and 20" round reflectors made by Photoflex. They have wire frames that curl up into a small package. If you prefer, you can make your own reflector with a piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil or any other reflective material.

Another option is to cut the intensity and soften harsh light by creating your own cloud cover. Hold a diffuser between the sun and your subject. A diffuser is made of white, somewhat translucent material. You can purchase various shapes and sizes or make one yourself. I own round 12", 32" and 52" sizes made by Photoflex. Like the reflectors, they also have wire frames that allow them to be curled up into a small package. I tend to use the largest one when working on plant portraits because it allows me to diffuse the background. I can usually get away with the smaller one if I am doing a close-up.

At this point, you may be wondering how many hands I have. Well, I only have two, but I'm not using them to hold my camera. Last time I talked about using a tripod. Well, here's another reason to use one. It leaves at least one hand free to work with a reflector or diffuser.

The third option is to use electronic flash. This technique works best with a camera and flash system that can do fill flash in addition to full flash. Fill flash works with the existing light to fill in the darker areas and reduce contrast. Full flash overpowers the existing light and produces it's own dark shadows. You'll have to refer to your camera and flash manuals for more specific details.

As with most things in life, it takes practice to recognize light conditions and to work with the light modifying tools. The only way you get better is to get out there and take pictures.

For more information on Donna Krischan the photographer please visit our Faculty Lounge or you can contact Donna through her web site at http://www.krischanphoto.com