The ‘right’ light

Consider more than the time of year

Interesting lighting is essential for successful landscape photography, and has a significant impact on how you compose a shot. For instance, low, raking sunlight at the start or end of the day will help to reveal texture – it can help add ‘bite’ to shots of pictures taken along a craggy coastline, and emphasise ripples in a sandy beach, for leading lines to pull the viewer’s eye into the scene. Don’t dismiss dull days, though: soft, low-contrast lighting is ideal for revealing details in forest scenes, for example.