The Church of Light by Gord Barker

    It's the end of June and the Summer season is in full swing. The tiger lilies (one of my favourite flowers) are blooming almost everywhere. We've already survived our first heat wave. The days are long and the light during the day is intense. Sometimes too intense!

    

    When you think about it, good photography is really about the appreciation of light and the ability to use that light in the presentation of a subject. When you've been at it as long as I have, that appreciation of light becomes almost second nature. I can't tell you how many times I've stepped outside and said, "Wow! Look at the light!" Sometimes I work in reverse. The light will be amazing and I will frantically look for a subject or scene to utilize it. For a photographer, the appreciation of good light and it's interplay with a subject is key to making appealing photographs. Second to that appreciation, is the ability to utilize the photographic equipment at hand to capture the nature of that light with what is hopefully an interesting or beautiful subject. But the light comes first. Without it, photographic imaging is null and void.

    I can almost hear my readers asking, "So, old grey bearded photo freak, what exactly is  defined as good light?"

    

 The answer, quite simply, is any light that enhances the subject being portrayed in the photograph. For example, the hard specular light of a clear sky at mid day is usually not good for portraiture. It produces hard shadows in the eye sockets and under the nose on the face. The light of late afternoon or the softer light of a slightly overcast day is usually better for that application. However that same hard light can serve to emphasize the graphic nature of a building's architecture quite well. In essence, there's really no such thing as bad light, there's just bad application of the light that is available. And in photography, there's always a work-around.

    It was photographer Jim Richardson who said, "If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff."  I would add, "Stand in front of more interesting stuff lit with really great light!"

           ...more later

    

    

    

    

     

Big Sky By Gregory Barker

    The sky was vast and clear. The world woke up a couple hours before me. With my eyelids still heavy, I was sitting outside drinking my coffee, puffing smoke from my cigar in between sips. Despite waking up slow. I knew today would be a good one when the caffeine kicked in. The plan was simple. Grab my camera and set off to a childhood place. Off to spend time with the horses and the cattle.

    I’ve been to the farm plenty of times. Spent time with the horses plenty of times. Never with my camera though. Going to a place I love with a brand new perspective ended up being the author of my excitement all morning.

    About a half an hour past 9am by the time we got there. I knew the light would get harsh. With it being the time it was, and no clouds fixing to visit. I knew pretty quick that hard shadows and stubborn highlights would be taunting me at all times. The crisp, dried out dirt beneath my boots quickly transitioned to lush fields. The horses thought so at least. A handful of them surrounded me. However 2 in particular made this shoot special.

Mac and Caliber.

Mac is an old Belgian draft. Used as a work horse in pulling carriages. A gorgeous blonde coat, hulking physique and a personality even larger. If a golden retriever could be a horse. It’d be this behemoth.

Horses are always communicating with you. Not speaking, but communicating. The better you can listen and observe, the happier a time you’ll have. Many of the quarter horses were older. Calmer in temperament, but insistent on peaceful solitude. I didn’t get in the way of their time. Didn’t want to risk stressing them out. Especially Bella. An Appaloosa with a very timid demeanour. I only grabbed one photo of her from a distance.          

Mac however, was the opposite of such a concept. Often getting offended if you didn’t spend time beside him while grazing, and would make a point to walk on over to you and hang out with you. If you were giving time and affection to another horse. Mac presented himself quick and made sure to take back the stage.

In addition to such a memorable horse as Mac, there was Caliber, an old race horse. Though more reserved, she was just as motivated by the same laconic affection. A beautiful coat, numbers up her neck and a well kept mane. Sweet, friendly and easy to photograph.

It wasn't long after hopping the gate and shooting that I forgot about being a young gun photographer, eager to go out and grab explosive photos, and became the same ol’ kid who just straight up digs this stuff.

It’s always better to have fun. If you can't love what you shoot, then love the act of shooting. How good you are becomes a low bar to set for yourself. The passion has to be wed with the technique. Lacking one or the other is like wrapping a bandage for internal bleeding. It's something you can do, but it'll do you no good in the long run.