While a lot of people are looking for a subject which is well-lit from the front, it is also a good idea to sometimes look at lighting from different angles. To me side lighting creates a different mood to the image, a direction that often works better than the usual front-lit subject.

Have a look at the image below of a Cape buffalo.

By using side lighting for this picture and by underexposing, I managed to light up the side of the buffalo’s face quite well and the rest of its body was left quite dark (slight post-processing was done to get to this final image). This lighting works well for this subject in particular because, in my opinion, it portrays the danger and unpredictability of the Cape buffalo.

There is always a dark side to this animal, as it is known to be the most dangerous of the Big 5 when approached on foot. Side lighting here definitely created a much better mood to the photo than if I had photographed the buffalo with front lighting.

Go on, try something different!

Pravir Patel