The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us

Blog

Taking Time to Live Well

  • All
  • Chalkboard
  • Christmas
  • Competition
  • could do
  • Eating
  • Escape
  • Escaping
  • Fresh
  • Fun
  • gardening
  • Gathered
  • Gathering
  • Growing
  • Haikus
  • Interview
  • Living
  • Looking back
  • Magazine
  • magical creatures
  • Making
  • Miscellany
  • My Neighbourhood
  • Nature
  • Nest
  • Nesting
  • outing
  • playlist
  • Reader event
  • Reader offer
  • Shop
  • Sponsored post
  • Sunday Best
  • Think
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom

Photography by Finn Beales

Photography | Magic Light

Iona Bower February 19, 2023

How do you capture that fabulous light when photographing nature?
With a sprinkling of magic!

There are five types of natural light, as far as wildlife photographers are concerned: front light, side light, back light, diffused sunlight and… Magic Light. The first four are pretty much self explanatory. Magic Light is a little bit harder to pin down but if you manage to capture it on camera, always worth the wait. 

It’s also known as ‘God’s light’, which seems fitting when you notice the way the light seems to ‘fall’ on your subject, as if sent directly from the heavens, surrounding them in a glowing halo. But if we’re accepting that The Big Man has more important stuff to do than giving our photographs a lovely finish, where does it come from?

Magic Light tends to occur at times of change, being most in evidence at the change of seasons, as well as as dusk turns to night or sunrise into morning. It’s also more obvious as the weather changes, so just after it has rained or when there is interplay between the sun and the clouds. It’s impossible to pin down exactly what Magic Light is but what it looks like is, well, like magic… as if someone is shining a torch down through the clouds onto the landscape below. Rather than a light which illuminates its subject in various ways, Magic Light can often be the subject of a picture itself.

Do not make the mistake of muddling Magic Light with the ‘Magic Hour’. The Magic Hour refers to the hour after sunset and the hour before sunrise when photography takes on the warm colours of the sun. And Magic Hour itself is not to be confused with the Golden Hour, which occurs the hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise. If you take a few pictures around these times, you’ll see that Magic Hour photos have more bluey pink tone and Golden Hour photos have more golden yellow about them. As we say, it’s difficult to pin down, but so worth taking the time to get to know these variously tinted lights a little better so that you can use them in your photography, whether you’re a semi-pro or simply snapping pictures on your phone. 

At the change of seasons, wander outside with your camera in the mornings and evenings, maybe during the Magic Hour, even, and see if you can capture a little of the magic for yourself. 

The photograph above was taken by Finn Beales in the Redwood National and State Parks, California. It’s just one of the photographs featured in our Gallery this month, which we’ve called ‘To Dramatic Effect’. The picture is taken from Let’s Get Lost: The World’s Most Stunning Remote Locations curated by Finn Beales (White Lion Publishing). The March issue is in shops now or you can buy from our online store. 

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More magical things…

Featured
Hedgerows_v1_rachelhudsonillustration.jpg
Apr 29, 2023
Learn | Hedge Witchery
Apr 29, 2023
Apr 29, 2023
Gallery bridge magic light.jpg
Feb 19, 2023
Photography | Magic Light
Feb 19, 2023
Feb 19, 2023
Alamy tablecloth.jpg
May 21, 2022
Magic | Do the Tablecloth Trick
May 21, 2022
May 21, 2022

More from our blog…

Featured
Screenshot 2025-05-21 at 08.52.06.png
May 21, 2025
Playlist | Great Heights
May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
Watergate Bay 2.jpg
May 21, 2025
Competition | Win a two-night stay at Watergate Bay
May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
Belt Bag pic.jpg
May 21, 2025
Make | Summer Scraps Belt Bag Template
May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
InThink Tagsissue 129, photography, light, magic
  • Blog
  • Older
  • Newer
Featured
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
Join our Newsletter
Name
Email *

We respect your privacy and won't share your data.

email marketing by activecampaign
facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram
  • Subscriber Login
  • Stockists
  • Advertise
  • Contact

The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram