How to take better photographs

St. John is full of wonderful settings for beautiful pictures.  There are so many, in fact, that the St. John Sun Times has even offered a sort of catalog of great places for great shots.  Read it by clicking here http://stjohnsuntimes.com/10_best_photo_spots.

But, once you've found THE spot, there's something else to consider: WHEN to push the shutter.  The variable to be considered here is light.  While some people think light's range is simply dim to bright, to a photographer light is color, impact, and emphasis.

Bob Schlesinger of Tropical Focus knows very well that a scene photographed at 7 a.m. can look entirely different from the same scene at 6 p.m.  And that's good.  It's not a question  of what's right and what's wrong; it's what do you want?

In an article on his blog, "Morning or Afternoon Light, Scheslinger shares some of what he's learned in years of taking photos on and off St. John. "In early morning, the light starts out cool and the contrast is low," he wrote.  "By mid-afternoon, the light is very warm but lower in the sky, with the blues and greens more muted than in the morning."

Before you go out with your camera, read this piece for helpful advice.

• http://www.tropicalfocus.com/wordpress/index.php/?p=421