Chapter 3 - Working with Natural Light

[John Mills]

It is often stated that the hour around sunrise and sunset are the best times to capture landscape photos.  While I agree that these times often offer spectacular lighting, the Chapter Three assignment has me reconsidering the conventional wisdom.

The NearSunrise photo was taken about 20 minutes after the published sunrise for my area and the NearSunset photo was taken about 20 minutes before the published sunset.  The OffGoldenHour photo was shot over one hour prior to the published sunset.  Of the three, I prefer the lighting in the OffGoldenHour photo.  The NearSunset photo displays more uniform lighting, but tends to appear flat in comparison.  The backlit NearSunrise photo lacks much of the detail present in the other two photos – due in part to a light morning fog when the picture was taken.

The photos are not “conventional landscape photos” as they rely heavily on man-made objects in the composition.  In addition, nearby buildings helped to scatter light and soften the shadows while the relatively sparse foliage of locust trees also scattered light to reduce the total contrast between shaded areas and directly lit areas.  Still, the light in OffGoldenHour was not unlike that which I have experienced in some thinly forested areas, especially when the sky was slightly overcast.

Comments are welcome.

[Jimlock99]

You're right, the third one has the most pleasant lighting.  I'm thinking, though, that this is more of an "intimate landscape" shot than a "grand scenic".  The magic hours around sunrise and sunset are most appropriate for grand scenics, which have more wide open landscapes and thus more available light.