Poetry of Light

Welcome to Poetry of Light!

Poetry of Light is the course which will help you to use light to create beautiful impressionist images!
In this course, we will look at varieties of natural light and how to apply them to impressionist photography.

First a little about me…

My Name is Eva Polak.

As a photographer, artist, author and teacher, I’m well known for my enthusiasm and passion for impressionist photography. I’ve written three books about impressionist and abstract photography, outlining ways to use your camera for painterly effects. I have also developed four other online courses.

When I first started my journey with impressionist photography I experimented and learned from my mistakes, and in this course I want to share with you what has been working the best for me.

You will learn how to visualise the photo before you take it.
You will learn through repetition and practice.
You will learn how to see the world differently, following a proven creative process to create stunning images.

Unless you’re extraordinarily lucky impressionist photography, like most things of artistic value, doesn’t happen by accident. Learning at your own pace is key. Being able to study and try out a new technique around your own schedule will help you develop your own style, slowly evolving and not being forced into the confines of someone else’s workflow.

You can find a happy balance between following the instructions of others and developing your own style – it’s part of the learning process. You should take the road taken by others to pave the way for you to a certain point. The direction in which you take your work once that road ends is up to you.

Creating great impressionist photography depends on our perception of light and how we communicate it when capturing our images.

Be sure to do the assignments as this is the only way to improve your images. Practice make perfect. You need to test each concept and you need to experiment.

Regardless of whether you are with your camera or not, make a habit of observing light. Pay attention to its direction and strength. In time you will develop a mindset that will tell you how to position yourself for the best lighting to create a specific look and a specific mood in your photographs.

Thanks again for joining me!

I hope to help by making the image-making process as easy as possible for you. So, if you’re ready, move on to the next lecture to get started!

In this lesson, I want to give you a quick overview of everything you will be learning in this course which is all about learning to see and use the light.
We will look at lighting direction, lighting quality and the appropriate light for your specific subject.

The quality of light is affected by its intensity, hardness, direction, and colour temperature. It will behave in different ways, depending on the source, subject matter, and the surrounding environment.

Light is photography’s raw material. As the painter applies paint to the canvas, so the photographer applies light to the image sensor. As impressionist photographers, we are the artists of light. Becoming a master of that is a key to impressionist photography.

Light is a foundation of every photograph and can be used to create mood, atmosphere, tranquillity, harmony, drama, impact, balance and depth.

Light has to be used with care and precision.

Like each subject, light has its own character; it is the marrying together of light and subject in an appropriate manner that forms every successful impressionist image.

Time spent simply watching light is never wasted. Learn to appreciate its qualities; the results will show in your photography and you will be able to achieve your creative vision.

The quality of light is affected by its intensity, hardness, direction, and colour temperature. It will behave in different ways, depending on the source, subject matter, and the surrounding environment. Throughout this course, I address the use of light in different situations.

We will talk about light’s four basic qualities:
• level of contrast
• brightness intensity
• direction relative to the subject (front light, side light, back light and top light), and
• colour properties.

We will explore special effects like bokeh and lens flare.

We will also look at dappled light and the behaviour of light.

And finally, we will explore the colour of light as well as its mood.

I divided all the material into small bites to help you consume each property of light one of the time. This will help you to focus on each feature and help you retain what you learned.

Remember, every lesson in this course builds on the previous one and each is designed to help you better understand and master light. If you have any questions you can email me and I will respond as soon as I can.

I’m a big believer in packing in as much information as possible, without all the fluff, so we’re going to focus on most essential tips and cut out all of the unnecessary fillers.

Whether you’re starting with impressionist photography or expanding your artistic skills, understanding light is vital for your success.

So let’s get started!

The characteristics of natural light

One characteristic of natural light is that it is unpredictable and variable, but as a photographer and artist, you should know how light acts in certain situations. Controlling the quality of light is one of the most critical artistic aspects of image-making. It allows you to set the mood and draw focus and attention to your subject.

Great images and great light often go hand in hand. If you don’t understand what light can do to your images, you are lacking a key component in your toolbox.

So, how can we capture light’s poetry in our photographs? What special skills do we need, as photographers, to make sense of the way in which light affects and determines what we see? How do we go about conveying these effects in our images?

The answer to these questions is surprisingly simple. It doesn’t require an expensive camera or extensive technical knowledge. We begin to see light more sensitively when we allow ourselves quiet moments to stop, to look and to feel. Once we consciously begin to experience the transient play of light and shadow, we will sense and respond to the magic that light creates.

As impressionist photographers, we don’t necessarily photograph what we see. We attempt to capture the light and its effect on the subject matter. Light is also the key to controlling composition and storytelling.

Observing and experiencing light is a journey. We just need to let the light guide us and make each moment a new discovery. The results may be surprising and fascinating. Impressionist photography is a perfect way to see and experience light, as it is concerned with the effects of light on natural forms.
The subject matter is only a vehicle to convey the feelings and emotions that light creates.

Impressionist photography responds to the fleeting moment. It focuses on the interaction between light, colour and form. Essentially, there is no good or bad light. Each type of light has its own qualities. Having an understanding of the properties and qualities of different types of light allows us to be better prepared to make the best use of the available light. Each subject will require something different and you, as an artist, will have a choice about how you are going to use light.

This leads us to the next module where we will discuss a definition of Good Light.

Become a Student of Light

Becoming a student of light quality is a key to creating great images. For this exercise, simply watch the light’s transition and transformation of a subject during the day. As the sun makes its way across the sky, it changes the basic design of a subject. Observe and capture that transformation.

Have a look at these short time-lapses for an inspiration.