LESSON 1
The Study of Light
Photography begins with noticing light before you notice anything else.
Today's core idea: photography is the study of light. Everything below builds from that one sentence.
Before we go any further — write down everything you currently know or believe about photography. There are no wrong answers. This is just a starting point so you can look back later and see how far you've come.
Over the next day or two, pay attention to the shadows around you — indoors and outdoors. Where do you notice them? What are they attached to? Do they change throughout the day?
Plan three short outdoor sessions with your phone camera, ideally on the same day. For each one, note the time you actually went out and anything you noticed in the moment.
Add your photo from each session below, then jot down what you noticed about the light, shadows, and color in each one.
Sunrise photo
or drag a photo here
Midday photo
or drag a photo here
Sunset photo
or drag a photo here
Light doesn't just fall on things — it bounces. Where do you notice reflections of light in your day-to-day environment? (Windows, water, metal, wet pavement, eyes, screens, etc.)
In a photograph, the eye is drawn first to the brightest point in the frame, and then to the darkest.
“If we didn't have darkness, would we be able to see light?”
Darkness enhances, shows off, and draws the eye to the light.
“If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will become night' — even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.”
Psalm 139:11–12, CSB
Even when it feels dark, you're not hidden. Wait — the darkness becomes the very thing that lets you finally see the light.
Look back at the photos you took above. Where does your eye go first? What is the brightest thing in the frame — and what is the darkest?
Send Your Answers
Photos and sketches stay saved right here on this device — we'll look at those together in class. This sends just your written answers to your instructor.