The Quality of Light

Stephen and I were discussing shadows and changing light in relation to his paintings and my photography. On my drive through the Southwest in the spring of 2008, I didn't have the luxury of arranging my shooting schedule to the changing light - I pretty much had to shoot what I saw when I saw it and move along. Generally, the lighting at midday is much less dramatic than at sunrise or sunset but, if you look for it, you can usually find something to snag your interest.

When we got deeper into our discussion of reflected light, the picture above came to mind. I took it in Antelope Canyon from a cruise boat on Lake Powell. The rim of the Canyon was over 100 feet above the lake level. In this instance, the rock face shone reflected the clear blue sky for the most part and appears cool to the touch. But to the right, where the underside of the rock reflects light from the red sandstone, the edge of the Canyon almost seems to be catching fire.

On a somewhat grander scale, the canyon wall - even when in the shadow of the sun - is comparatively well lit by reflected light from the opposite face of the canyon. In contrast with the sky, the red sandstone is clearly warm. I find it especially interesting that in this picture, the sandstone seems even warmer than the glow of the sun itself, barely masked by the rim of the canyon.

Another variable affecting the quality of light is the angle of incidence. This study of the texture of the canyon wall was shot almost perpendicular to the wall - well below the canyon rim - completely in shadow, and lit primarily by reflected light from the opposite wall. Indeed, without knowing exactly where I was when I took the picture, I wouldn't be able to tell that this picture wasn't in direct sunlight.