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You are here: Nature Science Photography – Lightness and color – Color saturation

Another key is to adapt the working method to the natural conditions. Indeed, the sun’s shallow angle of illumination in the morning and evening increases perceived or apparent color saturation by reducing surface reflections, which are 4% when the light is perpendicular to the surface and 100% when it is parallel. An additional positive effect at these moments is the removal of the attenuating blue. This short-wave part of the spectrum is scattered particularly strongly by the gas and water vapor molecules in the air. This effect intensifies in the morning and evening, as the path of light through the atmosphere becomes longer the lower the sun is. For another reason, most nature and landscape photography is best captured during the hours around sunrise and sunset. This is because the scattering of the short-wave blue spectrum just described helps the sky to become a rich, dark blue. And against such a relatively dark background, any object experiences a significant increase in its perceived (apparent) color saturation. The dark clouds accompanying a thunderstorm also exert the same effect, making even the dull green of a pine tree glow powerfully. – On the other hand, how soporific is the light blue, almost white sky at midday!

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