Light Studies: Exploring the Light Atmosphere of a Place
Certain places call out to us to be contemplated and explored, whether they are a big city or a small town, a public or a private space. Bodies of photographic work that explore the light and atmosphere of such places are often called light studies. David H. Wells is a master of these, using light, shadow, night and twilight as he makes his award winning “light studies.” The finished “light studies” of David H. Wells have been published in general interest magazines and as photography magazines and have been shown in exhibitions around the world. Spend time with this master of light and shadow who will help you understand how to make your own “light studies.” Wells will share specific techniques (and particular images that highlight those techniques) that he used to create his “light study” photo essays.
Topics to be explored include:
• Specific issues of time of day / morning vs. evening light
• Quality and direction of light
• Scouting a location with a compass to plot the play of light
• The importance of the photographer’s position
• The use of lines, light and dark
• Lens choice / composition
• Framing to create dramatic images when no dramatic light exists.
Attendees will gain a better understanding of available light, how it is shaped by the time of day, seasons, the photographer’s positioning, etc.
Bio David H. Wells is a free-lance photographer based in Providence, R.I. and affiliated with Aurora Photos. He is a specialist in intercultural communication and visual narratives that excel in their creative mastery of light, shadow and sound, stills and video. Wells’ photo essays have been published in Life Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine and The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine. He is also a photo educator, with previous workshops at such institutions as the International Center for Photography in New York City and the Maine Media Workshop. David teaches workshops around the world, and he was featured in Photo District News as one of “The Best Workshop Instructors.” “Wells uses light and dark like a surgeon… His dynamic compositions have an almost surreal quality that reshapes our expectations of space. (He) uses light, carefully, to explore interior human complexities.” Charles Biasiny-Rivera, a curator and critic. www.davidhwells.com
