The Challenges in Photography Presented by Shadows and Light

The Too-Bright Challenge

• When taking a picture in bright light, control the shutter speed. You can do this by manually setting to a fast shutter speed. The bigger the denominator the faster the speed -- 1/1000 is much faster than 1/30. If you have a camera with a beach or sunshine setting or a dial with a sunburst on it, set it for one of these. This controls the amount of light that can come into the shutter.

The Too-Dim Challenge

• Use your night setting or if you have a half-moon icon on the dial, set it for that. When setting shutter speed, anything below 1/60 requires a tripod (or a very steady hand) to avoid wobble. If you are taking the picture indoors, open the drapes for natural light. Avoid having the flash go off in a shadowed setting if possible. The flash mutes the natural colors and will even create more shadows. Most cameras today have the option of setting for flash or not.

Helpful to Know

• A cloudy day is actually the best time to take a picture since there are no shadows to contend with. The natural lighting of early morning or dusk makes a lovely picture, just be sure not to take the picture facing the sun. If your camera has an automatic setting, use that when faced with a lighting challenge.

Bringing It All Together

• ISO is the acronym for the International Sensitivity Organization. They set the standards by which you determine the exposure needed to take a particular picture. The lower the ISO, the finer the quality of your photo. Aperture is the size in the opening in your camera and is called the f-stop number. The bigger that opening is, the more light that will be captured. By using the correct ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture setting, the light and shadow challenge will be met.