Many wildlife photographers prefer front lighting. It illuminates subjects evenly and reveals important details. Although pleasing, front lighting may not have the same impact as side or back lighting in certain situations.
As I reflected on the Osprey image below, I needed to answer a fundamental question. Do I attempt to make the lighting more even, or do I accept the prominent side lighting?
In the end, I decided that intense side lighting, combined with the Osprey’s piercing glance, made the image more dramatic so the lighting remained essentially unchanged.
