Light Matters

Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Radway, Alberta

Photographers are always talking about light... the quality of light, direction of light... we're obsessed with it. There's a reason for that. "Good" light makes a BIG difference in photos. Light matters.

Check out the photos above and below. These are churches that I photographed, seconds apart, and processed exactly the same. The left photo is without sunlight and the right photo has sunshine. Click on the photos to see a larger version.

Do you see how having "good light" makes a huge difference in the photo? The left photos are flat and lack contrast, while the subject (church) in the photos on the right stand out and draw the eye.

Limestone Lake Ukrainian Catholic Church, Alberta

Here are my recommendations:

• Look for "good" light - mornings and evenings
• On partly cloudy days, be patient and wait for the sun to peek out
• Try different angles to get the light you want

Another view of the Limestone Lake church - with canola