As a photographer, I am always looking for light.

Even when I am not shooting, I have become keenly aware of how various sources of light affect whatever environment I happen to be in, whether indoor or outdoor. I notice it all day, every day. Even while watching movies, I pay close attention to the lighting techniques used by the filmmakers (it can be quite distracting really!) 

I am particularly drawn to dramatic light and shadow, especially when it is created naturally. Soft, diffused light can be incredibly beautiful, but hard light lends itself well to moody black & white images because of its high level of contrast, and I instinctively gravitate toward those types of photographs.

On this particular day I was admiring the shape that the sunlight had cast on the wall of an empty room in our house, which we were in the process of remodeling. I asked my daughter to come in to pose for a portrait, and she reluctantly agreed. Initially I was planning to place her directly in the light, but then I decided that I preferred her off to the side. I felt that having her sitting next to it helped to emphasize its interesting shape while also leading the viewer’s eye directly towards her.

Then just as I began shooting, our cat walked right in, plopped himself down beside her and looked directly into the camera as if to say “hey, what about me?” Minutes later he got bored and walked away just as abruptly as he came in. This has become my favorite image of the two of them, and believe me, there are many!

What do you think are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!

I believe the light pattern on the wall is the strongest compositional feature in this image, followed by the mood that is conveyed through the facial expressions of my daughter and our cat. Teenagers and cats have very similar attitudes!

If you would be able to make this photo once again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?

I wish that I had pulled the blinds down to cover the entire window instead of leaving it half open. This would have created a pattern of narrower, more uniform leading lines on the wall.

Tracy Miller shared his photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.

Photographer

Tracy Miller, U.S.
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Equipment and Settings

Canon EOS R + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM at 30mm
1/125 sec., f/3.5, ISO 500