Look for Dramatic Lighting

One of the best ways to jazz up what might seem like an ordinary scene is to capture it when the lighting is unusual or dramatic. After all, your job as a photographer is to “see” things differently and then share those discoveries. Back lighting, for example, is when the light comes from behind the subject. Light from behind creates a glow around your subject—especially when the subject is somewhat light-colored or translucent. I intentionally placed the sun behind this brilliant yellow shrub in Monument Valley, Utah by getting down low and positioning the bush between my camera and the bright afternoon sun.