Photo tip: light
Photography means drawing with light. A great location in poor light makes a poor image. Here is how I think about sky, weather, and when to stand there.
Lighting is the most important aspect of photography. That is why it is the first photo tip. Photography actually means drawing with light. Lighting can make an average or uninteresting scene very dramatic. If you have a great location and poor lighting, you will make a poor image. Knowing what great light is, and when to photograph it, is the key.
What is going on with the sky plays a big part in outdoor shooting. An overcast sky is great because it softens the light. That matters in the desert Southwest, where the light is so harsh. Early morning and late afternoon can be the best time to shoot. Weather conditions play a key role. Inclement weather can be a great time to be out. Contrary to a lot of belief, I find a clear blue sky to be some of the worst light — especially between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Even a few high clouds can add drama to a dull clear sky. Study how other photographers capture light. Pay attention to it even when you are not shooting.
Equipment is not the first subject
A photographer with poor equipment can make stunning images, and a photographer with the best of equipment can make poor ones, and it all has to do with light. I am not saying equipment is unimportant. I am saying light is the most important element. When I taught at Phoenix College, the second assignment in Photo 1 was a light assignment. The subject could be anything. Light had to be used in a creative and effective way. In many magazines most of the articles are on equipment — lenses, cameras. I do not think enough space is dedicated to lighting. If you could only talk about one subject in photography, light would be that subject.
Why I still think in black and white
Black and white is a series of gray values, so you can more readily see what lighting is doing. You are forced to look at value because you have no color. When I was a student at Phoenix College I had to take black-and-white photography my first few semesters. It trains you to see how light falls on a subject, and to study light even when you are not photographing it. I have grown to appreciate how wonderful black and white is. More important than that, it taught me to watch.
If you want prints where the light did the work, start with a location or the shop. The next tip is composition.