How to capture "that light", making a photo look like a painting

[mugget]

Wow, thanks for everyone taking the time to comment here, great discussion.

Great photos that everyone has posted as well. Thanks for that tip shadowfox, I'll... ahhh... keep that in mind.

Painters play with light and my attitude is that I have to do the same. When I do it I am trying to create a feeling rather than just reproducing an image of a scene absolutely faithfully.

Nice, I like that idea. Sounds like a good motto to me!

Chiaroscuro is a $100 word for high contrast. It normally is used to refer to working from very dark values to very light ones in a painting, print or drawing.

Thanks for the simple explanation, I get it now.

Daveleo, thanks for sharing that email from Tom. I was sure that I'd read something similar from him in the past, about using minimal editing.

I definitely agree that it's "all about the light". Good tips to look for a low and side-lit scene, I will aim to give that a try. The fact that Tom Brichta uses such a wide variety of cameras is what struck me. But I guess that just goes to show that it really is about the light (not necessarily the camera).

I am not against some editing as well, that's actually another type of challenge for me - to be able to visualise a scene that will work well with some edits. It's a tricky thing to try and visualise and achieve a look that was not directly presented to you to take a photo of.

Just to talk on technique a little bit, I just want to get people's opinion to see if I'm thinking along the right lines with this: So if I wanted to capture a late afternoon "golden light" photo I should adjust the exposure to create a realistic looking photo? But if I intended to edit the photo I should "expose to the right" so that I have the most detail? Or would you recommend to always expose to the right for digital photography?

Cheers for the discussion so far, that's helped alot.

 

[charjohncarter]

I used to use slow slide film for accurate color rendition and finer grain, and I did not have access to PS or similar programs. It was a matter of understanding how light would form an image on a specific type of film with a specific type of light. It was a one time chance each time for me since I never bracketed shots. It was very exciting to get back a box of slides and then inspect each slide on a light table with neutral color light and a loupe.

Galen Rowell was one of the good nature photographers whose books and work inspired me to work hard to capture the right light in an image.

I agree, this was taken in between rain showers, with a 35mm camera and on cheap transparency film, no fake filters, no golden hour, no white balance correction, no in camera vivid color setting, etc, and no PS:

And nothing like a silver print to make B&W look good. But we are now inured to digital and it is here to stay so enjoy it.

 

[tj01]

... and to answer your question, i have no idea .