Light Love

I'm obsessed. 

Lately I've developed an intense interest in finding light in the most unusual conditions and locations and trying to exploit it with my camera (or at least thinking of exploiting it, because sometimes it's not convenient to actually do it, because, well, I have a work life, darn it). 

I swoon when I see a sliver of bright sunshine pass across the threshold of a door that's barely ajar. I love the way the darks and lights embrace each other there and I think of every way possible that it might be captured on camera.

I'm giddy by extremely bright and glorious sunshine that's so intense you can hardly see around it. I love the way it envelopes objects in it's path and makes everything it touches a black silhouette when using just the right camera exposure.

At night I'm delighted by the slight glow of a streetlight, the warm gleam of a flickering candle, the pale flood of buttery yellow light that cascades across the sidewalk from the cleaners across the street. I want to practice getting shots with this kind of light using different exposures. 

While I'm a natural light photog, I've been feeling the love for flash. So I signed up for a beginner's flash class at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on how to use my neglected speedlight. I've had my SB600 speedlight for...um...3 years now. I just put batteries in it for the first time three weeks ago! 

I'm learning how to use flash with ambient light, which was my main reason for taking the class. But I'm also learning off-camera flash (where the speedlight is across the room and triggered by an on-camera master). Having a great time, and the instructor is fabulous.

As I was heading to class last week I couldn't help but notice the magnificent sun glowing intensely on the Garden's green house. I nearly fainted with delight!

Love.