As the Seasons Turn, So Does the Light

By Tracey Maras

Have you noticed how the world looks a little different from season to season?  It isn’t just the presence or absence of leaves and snow. The light itself seems to take on a different look.  Consider the comments we often hear about a winter day being “clear and crisp” or the “light being thin.”

A combination of factors can affect the quality of light.  It’s easy to notice how the light changes over the passage of a day, shifting to warmer and richer colors at sunrise and sunset. Consider also the dramatic changes imparted by weather disturbances.  Often, the variations from season to season can be more subtle.  With these changes taking place over weeks and months, we often fail to notice them.

Part of the change is due to the position of the sun in the sky.  Summer months will find the sun directly overhead, bathing the scene in stronger light.  This results in stronger shadow contrasts.  However, with the sun sitting lower in the winter sky, the total amount of light is diminished, resulting in the perception of the light being “thin.”

While in the summer, we may see shadows concentrated directly under a tree, the shadows in winter will be longer and raking away from the tree.  This can lead to opportunities for more interesting compositions, incorporating diagonal leading lines.

Particles, such as dust, are always present, suspended in the air.  These particles scatter the light waves, resulting in more distant elements in a scene to appear lighter in value, cooler, and less vivid.  The more substances suspended in the air, the more influence there is on these distant elements in the scene (called aerial or atmospheric perspective).

It is common in winter to feel like you can see farther, with distant elements seeming to appear sharper and clearer.  This can be the result of less moisture in the air.  Drier air means fewer water molecules to scatter light waves.  Hence, we experience a scene that seems “crisp and clear.”

Even the color of the light will be affected by the humidity of the season.  More water molecules in the air disrupt the light waves to a greater degree.  The cooler colors of the spectrum, specifically blue, are affected to a greater degree.  This can lead to the sunrises and sunsets of summer being more vibrant with warm colors.

Is all this important to know?  Maybe not, but I’m always curious about the “why” behind what I see.  And for a representational artist, it is very important in accurately conveying reality.  We cannot simply rely on photos, which may distort the scene.  It is important that we observe, analyze, and truly experience in order to capture the moment.