Not waiting for the right light

Waiting for the best light – in terms of its quality, quantity and direction – is one thing we all know we should be doing, but when we have to squeeze in some quality time with our cameras where we can, well, sometimes we have to make the best of it.

Even then, subtle changes in lighting can make a big difference to a photo, so it’s worth spending a few extra minutes at a location to make sure that you’re not likely to miss out once you move on. Failing that, try to improve the lighting by, say, using a diffuser to produce soft illumination for close-ups, or using a reflector or a snap of fill-flash to create more balanced lighting in a portrait.

Sometimes all it takes is for a cloud to move and suddenly we’re presented with a much more appealing scene