In photography, there is a saying that guides a lot of aspiring photographers. It goes, “It is not with the bow; but rather, with the Indian”. The message this statement is trying to deliver is that whether you are using the best kind of Digital SLR, or you are just using your camera phone, you should be able to take great photos, should you know how. Buying tons of other lenses would be of no use if you can’t even take a decent picture using a point and shoot. Taking great pictures would entail possessing the right kind of skill and other variables to capture the shots you want to have. This would mean the photographer should have a great eye to compose, the knowledge and patience to set-up the shot and capture, and lastly, the joy of great lighting in order for the picture to finally be taken in great detail.

Think of great lighting as the living soul of photography. Light can play tons of tricks in pictures. It enables drama, depth in meaning, and emphasis on pictures. Therefore, every photographer should know how to use light.

When taking pictures in daylight, you may think using a flash would be just plain wrong. But actually, you can use flash to worn off shadows that are included in your composition. The burst of light emitted by your flash should be able to clear up those shadows, leading to a cleaner and highly emphasized shot.

When taking pictures in places which are lowly dimmed, your camera would be in the lookout for light. It would be certain that you would have to kick your aperture, Shutter speed, and ISO to high levels in order to get a decent shot; not to mention, you would also have to keep your camera shake free as even the slightest movement would create blur in your picture. In the process, some detail may be lost. Properly lighting your subject would allow great detail to be captured in the picture.

They say light travels at a speed that is faster than you can ever imagine. Well, think about the relationship of your camera, light, and a moving subject. If there is enough light, you camera would be able to capture that moving object, in either a “frozen” motion shot or with an effect you choose, and still get to maintain the clarity of the subject. Try to as much use a flash gun or strobe lights when shooting moving objects as this would allow you to clearly shoot these tricky areas.

Lastly, light can play a big factor in placing that artistic touch to any picture. A dimly lit picture would entail a different message on a very bright one. A sad subject would generally be better conveyed with dimmer lighting. You see, light can soul to pictures. With the proper use of light, you can set the mood in your pictures in order for them to convey that message you want to give out in your pictures. So go ahead and seek for the light!