The word photography literally means “writing with light,” and developing an awareness of light is one of the most important things you can do to improve your photography. The best times for photography are typically early and late in the day, when the light is softer and colors appear more vivid. In the middle of the day, the contrast between light and shadow is greatest, and it can be hard for your camera to capture both. There are fewer shadows at midday, which often makes photos look flat, since shadows add depth and bring out textures and other details. At the same time, when the light is coming from directly overhead it can create odd shadows around people’s eyes and other facial features.

Here’s an example from Egypt of what a difference light can make. The first photo was taken at the Temple of Karnak before the sun had fully risen. The light is grey and flat.

In the second photo, the sun has come up but the light is still soft enough to cast a warm, rosy glow on the row of sphinxes. By midmorning this warmth would be gone, replaced by bright direct light and reduced contrast.

Of course, when traveling you often have no choice but to shoot in the middle of the day. Look for ways to reduce glare by blocking the direct sunlight, perhaps by standing so that a wall is blocking the sun. Using a hood for your camera lens is a great way to get rid of glare. If you don’t have a hood, simply holding your hand above your lens can help – just make sure your hand doesn’t appear in the picture!

The direction from which the light is coming is extremely important. Most people have heard the so-called rule that you should stand with your back to the sun, so that it is shining directly on your subject. However, this kind of front lighting is not always effective. Front lighting can be great for capturing colors but as with top lighting the lack of shadows can make your photograph appear flat. Depending on what you are trying to convey in your photo, you may have better luck with side or back lighting. Try different positions to see what works best.

Sometimes shooting directly into the light can create an interesting effect in and of itself. An obvious example is sunsets and sunrises, but even at other times it can be worth experimenting. I shot this photo of bicycles against the late afternoon sun in Varberg, Sweden. It was a bit too early for a true sunset sky, but for this particular shot I liked the brightness of the sun as a backdrop for the silhouetted bikes.

Similarly, I shot into the sun for this photo of Seattle’s International Fountain in order to give a shadowy effect to the children playing in the water.

Even shooting at times of day when there is little light can make for interesting shots. The first Egypt photo above looked flat in the pre-sunrise light, but this photo from Varanasi, India, works better because of its subject matter. Although it’s a bit grainy because it’s a scan of an old print, this photo tells the story of people going about their early morning business in the grey half-light just before dawn, while most of the city still sleeps.

At the other end of the spectrum is this photo of Inner Harbour and the provincial parliament in Victoria, British Columbia. Although it’s taken fairly late on a summer evening, it’s still light enough that you can make out the cluster of boats in the foreground, but dark enough to capture the lights on Parliament and around the harbor.

Many people take fewer pictures on cloudy days than when the weather is fine, but grayer skies can actually be better for some kinds of outdoor photography than bright sunshine. Of course it’s lovely when the sky comes out deep and blue in your photo, but in really bright conditions it’s more likely to appear pale or washed-out. In many situations colors will come out richer on a cloudy day. On sunny days, the light is hard and directional, striking the subject from a particular angle, whereas on cloudy days, the light is softer, enveloping the subject from all directions. This may not make for as dramatic photos as a bright blue sky, but unless the clouds are really ominous, the soft light will allow you to capture details and color variations throughout the image in a way that is impossible on a sunny day. In the photo below, it’s unlikely I would have gotten such a perfect reflection in bright sunlight, and in any case this photo of Kilchurn Castle in Scotland wouldn’t have been nearly as atmospheric without the gray mood.

In some cases the drama of the photo comes from the light on the clouds themselves. The photo below would have been just a darkish photo of boats on Seattle’s Lake Union without the rosy glow of the setting sun on the streaky clouds.

Likewise, this photo of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand becomes more than just another boring photo of a lake purely because of the changing light of a clearing storm.

The interplay of light and shadow are an integral part of good photography, both indoors and out. Pay attention not only to where light is coming from but also to how it illuminates your subject. Both of the following photos were taken at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, on two different visits. On the first one, the rays of sunlight shining through the windows of the dome create a spotlighting effect. In the second photo, taken on a rainy day, that magical light is absent, and the photo appears dull and flat.

Another thing to consider is flash. Many people automatically use flash when taking photos in low-light situations, particularly indoors, but sometimes that’s not the best option. Try adjusting the ISO setting of your camera to let in more light instead, and see how that compares to a flash photo. Sometimes photos taken at high ISO can appear grainy, but most digital cameras now come with so many megapixels that this isn’t as much of a problem as it used to be. I often take a photo both with flash and at a high ISO without flash, and then compare the two. Sometimes the flash photo is better; other times it isn’t. The photos below, of gauchos in southern Chile, illustrates the difference. In the first photo, taken with flash, the photo is uniformly bright and a bit harsh. In the second version, taken without flash, the shadows give the photo softness and texture.

As with most of the other photo tips discussed in this series, the idea here is to develop an awareness of light and to use it in whatever way is most effective for a particular photo. Being able to recognize optimal light conditions and make the best use of the light that is available at any given moment is a skill that will go a long way toward enhancing your photography.