Finding Great Photos in Less Than Ideal Conditions

Photography Tips

It’s easy to say photographers should wait for the best lighting. but in reality, ideal lighting conditions are rare, and waiting isn’t always possible. A better alternative is to develop your photographic eye and look for a shot that works within the confines of the lighting you’re facing. As photographer Thomas Heaton rightly points out in today’s video, there’s always a shot, no matter the conditions:

As you can see in the video, Heaton comes across two contrasting situations. One day he’s presented with a clear blue sky with harsh lighting. The next day, everything is grey with low-hanging clouds. How can anybody take any decent photographs in these conditions?

With his years of experience, Heaton is clever in his approach. On the clear day, he shoots rocks on a distant hill using a telephoto lens, because whatever light there was in the scene, it was playing well with those rocks. It made a lot of sense to take a detailed shot instead of trying to force a broader panorama.

“We can enhance our photograph with a nice composition.”

On the gloomy day, even though the light was pretty bad, he made an effort to look for the best composition and captured it. In that case, again, his composition compensated for the poor lighting.

Lighting is important, no doubt. But it’s equally important to remember that it isn’t only part in your photographic equation. Look for compositions that stand out. If the lighting is working, great. But if the conditions are horrible, let your composition do the talking. Don’t let a lack of light hold you back.