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Top 16 Reasons for Bad Photography >

25.16 - Lack of Sensitivity to Light

#16: Lack of Sensitivity to Light

This was discussed above.

When we're asking ourselves, "Should I take my camera with me," we probably are thinking mostly about the photography subjects we may encounter.

Say we're going to the store for milk.

We probably won't take our cameras.

However, we should ask ourselves, "Is the light going to be good?"

Good light can make humdrum subjects into great ones.

Ansel Adams was driving along when he saw his famous photograph, Moonrise over Hernandez.

He had his camera along.

Adams wrote:

I'm driving along and looked up and saw this rather incredible sight of the moon about two-and-a-half to three days from full, rising up over this little village with white crosses.

And I nearly ditched the car and kept yelling at all my friends to get me this and get me that ... I made the exposure with the "G" filter on an 8x10 film and I knew I had something good and I wanted to make a duplicate.

I turned the film holder around and as I pulled the slide, the light went off the crosses.

It was a very discouraging moment.

I had just this one picture of what I knew was quite a considerable thing.

The light then was late in the fall—the quality was extremely beautiful. And brilliant wind clouds over the mountains ... And the crosses were very brilliant.

It was just one of those incredible fortunate accidents that do happen sometimes.

And I often wonder just how many pictures have been lost because the accident happened to go the wrong way.

You could get a great photograph on your way to buy milk, especially if the light is good, Foggy Sunrise over the 7-11.