Seeing the Light, part 2

Today’s Post by Mark Toal

Until I moved to Portland, Oregon I had always taken the light for granted. The sun was almost always shining in Miami where I grew up and Reno where I moved in my early 20’s then to California for 25 years of more sun. Eight years ago I moved to Portland, Oregon even though everybody told me the lack of sun and constant rain would drive me crazy. The rain and lack of sun the first year was very depressing until the amazing spring light arrived.

The northwest in spring still has a lot of rain but it’s mixed with sun sometimes going back and forth what seems like a hundred times a day. Then just as you think summer is coming the rain and cloudiness come back until the summer sun shows up in early July.

After a couple of winters I realized that the cloudy light was like a giant softbox diffusing the winter light making for great photography. I was recently in Florida and California and noticed that I didn’t see much to photograph in the bright sun.

The next time that you think it’s a bad day for photography because it’s cloudy or raining get out and give it a try. Bring on the clouds.