How-To

Extraordinary Light

Learn to use the subtleties of illumination for dramatic landscape images

Reflection

This Article Features Photo Zoom

You know the difference between frontlight, sidelight and backlight. You’ve heard about the need to capture the “magic hours” around sunrise and sunset. But to master light, the essence of photography, you have to move beyond these basics and learn the nuances—the subtleties that can make a dull image brilliant.

Reflections

The best reflections show sunlit objects mirrored in shaded water. Sunlight glaring on the water’s surface kills reflections. Look for mountains, hills or trees that catch late sunlight after the water below has slipped into shadow (or the opposite in the morning).

Reflections

Smooth, mirror-like water is great, but not essential. Ripples, reflecting a kaleidoscope of hues, can be interesting. A fast shutter speed freezes this wave pattern, while a long exposure (if the light is dim enough) can blur the water’s surface into a beautiful sheen.

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