Finding the light – Photography is all about capturing light
Etymology of the word Photography
The word “photography” was created from the Greek roots φωτός (phōtos), genitive of φῶς (phōs), “light” and γραφή (graphé) “representation by means of lines” or “drawing”,[3] together meaning “drawing with light”. The root of photo means “light” while graphos mean “drawing” Etymology directly from Wikipedia.
It has been kind of gray in the Dallas area lately and while I have had the urge to photograph I’ve come up a bit flat. This morning was the first time I noticed the missing ingredient; light.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to photograph the sunrise and will have to rely on memory and pastel sketches- “A Sunrise I Missed” stay tuned for another blog post after the sketches are done. The amazing thing about this sunrise is the fact that the sunlight painted everything like a divine paintbrush.
The effects of the light make damp snow shine like diamonds, intensifies the color of the sky and turns flat shadows to deep blue hazy contrasts to golden light. It is called the magic hour and it happens just after sunrise and right before sunset when the light is at its perfect angle to the landscape.
The shadow and light play add drama and depth to a flat scene. It turns the snapshot into a work of art. Photoshop enthusiasts and polarizer lovers can stand aside as nature needs no touch ups, no enhancing.
There is no better feeling for me as a photographer knowing where the sun will soon appear and waiting for its spectacle. There is a silence when you have reached the peak of its display, only your breath as you pull the trigger and the wonderful sound of the shutter snapping.
Sometimes you only notice it so profoundly after you haven’t seen it for some time, it is a subtle but powerful process. It is why it’s called photography-it is literally drawing with light and the quality and richness of that light means everything to the photographer.