My fine art photography teacher used to say that photography was all about the light. Without it, you can't take a photograph-at least not a good one.
Ray Spicer was his name and he was responsible for shaping my viewpoint on photography, specifically black and white photography. He always said that without beautiful light you cannot have a beautiful photo.
Over the course of the past 20 years I've learned that his statement is only partially true. It is all about the light, but beautiful light is only somewhat relevant and depends more on the mood you are trying to establish within a photograph. Sometimes a less beautiful light can be used to create a more dramatic or gloomy mood.
Normally, I would recommend that the mood of your subject also match the mood of your light but that's not always necessary if you are trying to show a juxtaposition.
The light quality, type, warmth, coolness, brightness, flatness, etc., will absolutely play a part in the mood of your photo. Don't be afraid to try using other types of light, bounce light, fill light, flash lighting or available light to set the mood.
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