There Is No Such Thing as Bad or Good Light

Sunday 5 April 2026, 13:26 by Nando Harmsen | 1,351 views | 1 comment

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

How often do you hear that the light isn't beautiful, or is even bad? That would mean there is good light too. Light comes in many forms. It's up to you to make good use of it.

It's all too easy to blame the light for a less successful photo. And indeed, the light can make or break a photo. It plays a role in the composition and can guide the viewer towards a particular place in the frame.

In a studio, you can place the light exactly where you want it. Outdoors, that's much more difficult. You have to adapt to the existing light.
Light is a tool for shaping the photo. Sometimes you can control the light, for example in a studio where all the light sources can be controlled. If you use the existing light, you have no control over it.

You can say that the light isn't beautiful. Or you can use the light by adapting everything to the direction of the light.
If you have no control over the light, you have to take it into account when taking the photo. The light determines where you stand in relation to your subject. The light determines what the crop should be. The light determines how you place the subject in the photo.

Without that ugly, harsh light, this photo would not have been possible. Don't fight the light, use it to your advantage.
Don't say that the light isn't good, or that the light is ugly. That says nothing about the light itself, but about you as a photographer. It means that you aren't taking the light into account. It means that you aren't making good use of it.

Light is the photographer's tool. Light determines everything. Compare light to a hammer (again - I used this comparison before). You can hold the hammer by the handle and use it. Or you can hold the head of the hammer itself.

Instead of blaming the light, next time look at what the light is doing. Adjust your composition, exposure and image structure accordingly. You'll notice that there is no good or bad light.

Perhaps you like this soft twilight light more than harsh light. That's fine. In that case, you have to seek it out.
As a final note; good and bad light has nothing to do with a preference for a particular type of light. Of course, you may prefer morning light, light on a cloudy day, or studio light. But that doesn't mean you can't take beautiful photos in other light. It simply isn't your preference.

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