Searching for good light in photography

So I climbed this route about 10 times, looking for the right light, the right foliage and the right time of day. I wanted big puffy clouds;I wanted nice fall leaves and I wanted nice golden light. Well it turned out that what I wanted wasn't exactly right. The more times I went, the more I was convinced that this was a morning shot. This shot, taken in the afternoon, with rain clouds looming, is far superior to the subsequent shot taken at sunrise. Look at the sunlight skimming over the mountain. It turns out that the best light on this shot is in the afternoon based on the position of the sun. I actually stumbled on this shot while scoping it out for the umpteenth time. I stood here in the early afternoon with rain threatening to come in. I had been very disappointed by the lack of colour in the leaves this year and was not hopeful for a good shot. I went back at sunrise the next day and the sunrise picture didn't even compare. It's important to keep going back and looking for the right light. How important is light in photography? Read my light post.

Whysall Photography has a studio located in Bluemont, Virginia. Steve Whysall is an award winning National Geographically trained photographer, and graduate of The Corcoran Gallery of Art. Steve does portrait photography, event photography, commercial photography, and travel photography. Steve also does one on one lessons in photography.