Capturing light #photography

Photography is about capturing light, but this can be difficult.

Photography is about capturing light. The light is reflected off the subject, but in this shot, I captured light shining through the trees. This can be difficult because direct light can make the scene appear lighter than it really is and the camera then adjusts the sensor to less sensitive and you get a darker picture.

[breakout title="Mike Maynard" align="right"]Mike is a photographer and blogger, and key contributor to the Express & Star's Star Witness section! He runs two blogs of his own Mike10613 and A Zillion Ideas.[/breakout]When I took this picture, the sun was to the right of me, but I still have enough light reflected off the pub sign. The shot has a lot of interest with the main subject being the bridge but the sign and the path going away from us gave the image a lot of depth.

The canals around the Black Country offer lots of interest scenes to photograph, but you do have to be careful near water. Narrowboats make the scene more interesting. Capturing light from your subject is easier when it is clearly identified, even in a landscape shot.

Little things can make a shot so much more interesting. This shot is really busy, there is a lot of detail to see. The reflections make it interesting, as does the man walking his dog. This picture was taken at Toll End.

The sun was the source of all the light for these shots and being aware of the position of the sun can help you get a better shot. Capturing light to create a picture is a skill and one that takes some practice.

This is Hall End in Wednesbury, so called because the Manor House or hall stood nearby. That is the Old Blue Ball pub which I have tried to photograph a few times. I took this photo while the sun was high in the sky to avoid shadows on the pub. I think the church makes a nice backdrop for the whole picture. I made the scene look more imposing by taking the shot from my car and so a low level.