The Direction of the Light

The direction from which the light is coming is a big consideration for any photograph, but especially with close-up photography. Not only does it impact how the subject appears in the photograph, but it directs me as to where I need to position myself and the camera. It’s not enough to look at a potential subject, make a photograph, and walk away on the hunt for the next image. Instead, I have to think about where the light is coming from and, thus, where I need to place the camera to make the most effective photograph possible.

When I saw this beachgoer rinsing the saltwater off his body, the sun was behind me and it produced an okay photograph. I thought there might be something much more interesting if I moved to the other side of him, which I did quickly. By backlighting him, I was able to reveal the beauty of the spray of water and the shape of his leg and foot in a way that wouldn’t have been possible from my original position. The first shot was a simple document of someone showering, but this image makes it much more than that. It becomes an image about the way the light passes through the droplets of water and reveals the shape of his body. The gesture of the slightly raised foot helps complete the image in a nice way for me. This is just an image of someone rinsing off in a public shower, but because I chose to utilize the light that was there, I made a photograph that expresses more than just that obvious fact.