Favourite Light
This stuck with me, especially because at the time having a “favourite” type of light wasn’t something I had really thought about.
Years ago I was out in the mountains with legendary photographer Oskar Enander. He asked me what my favourite type of light to shoot was. I don’t remember what I said at the time, but I remember he said skim light. Not directly behind the subject, but coming in from the side creating shadows towards the camera and lighting just a tiny bit of a mountain face.
This stuck with me, especially because at the time having a “favourite” type of light wasn’t something I had really thought about.
Photography is literally defined as “drawing with light.” It seems simple, but it’s what takes a photograph to the next level.
Light in general is a huge inspiration for me and I’m constantly noticing it and thinking how I could replicate it and implement it into my work. Whether it’s out in the mountains watching the sun light up a peak, or as simple as the light coming in my window in the morning illuminating the steam on my coffee.
The light can be natural, and you plan around when the sun will be in the right position, or it can be fully controlled using flashes and reflectors to shape it how you want it. One is not better than the other, they are just means of getting an end result.
A few frames with some favourite light.
