What is Capturing the Glow?
Before you can successfully “capture the glow”, you must first understand what it means. It’s not the same as photographing a reflection. “Capturing the glow” actually means using reflectedlight when photographing a subject.
Take a look at the two images below:
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Image #1: Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado
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Image #2: Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA
In the first photo (Snowmass Wilderness), I managed to capture the reflection on the pond. In this case, the subject is a direct representation of the scene. This is an example of photographing the reflection because the subject itself is the reflection.
In the second image (Antelope Canyon), the subject is lit by the light that is reflected from the surrounding area. This is an example of capturing the glow.
The following sections describe some techniques to effectively capture the glow.
Canyon Glow
The second image above (Antelope Canyon) shows the first type of glow where the light, reflected from the surrounding area, gives the canyon walls their colors. While it is possible to photograph this glow during overcast conditions, you need bright sunny days to capture the intense reflected colors.
The following (House on Fire) is another shot captured by using the reflected sunlight from the surrounding areas…
House on Fire, Utah, USA
The reflected light in this one is more even; there are no blinding, blown highlights. You can even see some subtle detail in the dark shadows deep in the canyon and in the cracks in the foreground. A long exposure is required for this type of photography; we typically use our Induro carbon fiber tripods to these types of images.
Glow on Water
The reflective nature of water can create some of the most intense and breathtaking colors.
Ricketts Glen State Park, Pennsylvania, USA
Because water is a moving subject, shutter speed plays an important role in capturing these images. If your shutter speed is too short, it does not capture the colors as you envision them. On the other hand, too long of a shutter speed (or the wrong composition) makes the glow dull or non-existent, as shown in the following three images.
(By the way, to get the desired results, we use our stable Induro carbon fiber tripod when we experiment with shutter speeds.)
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Shutter Speed: 0.5s – Big Island, Hawaii
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Shutter Speed: 2.5s – Big Island, Hawaii
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In correct angle negates the glow – Big Island, Hawaii
Glow on Land
Canyons and water are not the only places where you can capture the glow. While all solid surfaces reflect light, smooth and light-colored surfaces reflect more light than uneven dark ones. Here are some examples of glowing light captured on solid surfaces in Death Valley, California.
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Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley, California, USA
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Badwater, Death Valley, California, USA
In both of the images above, the foreground is lit by light from the clouds and the surfaces take on the color of reflected light. Due to the smooth nature of the surface, the glow is readily seen and captured. Dealing with an extreme dynamic range is necessary when capturing the glow during sunsets or sunrises; our stable Induro tripods become indispensable for bracketing these images.
Compare the images above to the following one also shot in Death Valley. The uneven, darker surfaces below didn’t capture the glow as effectively as the smooth, lighter surfaces on the sand dunes and salt flats in the previous images.
Darker uneven surface, Death Valley, California
The next time you are out and about taking photographs, look for the glow created by reflected sunlight to get stunning landscape photos with soft contrast and vibrant colors. Feel free to share your own images in the comments below.
About Author Jay Patel
I could startoff like this – “Seeds of Jay Patel’s appreciation for beautiful places were planted early in his childhood….” but it would get boring really fast. I will just sum it up and say that I am a Landscape and Wilderness Photographer who loves to capture dramatic light. My photographs have been published in various magazines, calendars and advertising materials throughout the world.
Patience is a virtue...unless you are chasing your dreams
Visual Wilderness http://ift.tt/2ixrz3O
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