Element of Light

It was always really hard to get a good picture of this horse because she kept moving away from the light. I needed the light go across her instead of from behind, otherwise you just couldn't see her face. Light is one the most important elements in photography. There are 4 things that affect light: Shutter Speed, Amount of Light in Area, Aperture, and ISO. There needs to be a perfect setting for each in order to get the correct exposure. And then there's the way light hits a subject. The best kinds of light are Back, Side, and Front lighting. Now, it's always different for each situation so you might not be able to use all three for one shot. In this shot, I needed Front Light; Backlight would have made for a nice silhouette but I wanted every beautiful detail of this horse. Most of the time, it is best to take photos at Dawn or Dusk to get the perfect lighting. On a sunny day like this, ISO would be best around 400 or 600. I would also choose a smaller aperture and a faster shutter speed to ensure the photo won't be too bright. All in all, it takes a few shots to get the right one.

Artist Statement

I was so surprised at how well this photo turned out. Especially since it was exposed to light on accident (with it being film and all). I love the cool blue tint that it has and I love the blurred snow in the background. This picture just gives me a sense of calmness because snow is always so beautiful and mysterious. This was one of the first pictures that I took and really one of the few decent ones. I wanted a little more detail in the background but I think it still looks nice. It was really cold that day and I had hiked out on a Grayson Lake trail because the snow was gently falling all around me and I just knew I could get some great snow pictures. Luckily, I got one great picture.