I often see some comments that say you have to find good light to become good photog. It makes me wonder, how do you spot great light then? What kind of signs are you looking for? Is it hard? How is it hidden? Are there any fundamental signs/tips to look out for to find a good lighting scenario in nature, inside buildings etc.? What makes good lighting good?
I guess it depends on the kind of photography and the effect you want to achieve. If you do studio/object/portrait photography, you’ll probably look for different conditions/set-ups than when you’re a street or landscape photographer.
It’s about light & shadows, colours. For example, if you photograph a city in the middle of the day on a sunny day, your shots will come out with bright colours and high contrast. Go on a grey, but clear day, and the contrast will be less pronounced, the colours duller. Go out early in the day or late at night, when the sun is just starting to rise or set, during golden hour or magic hour, and the lights and colours are completely different, have a more ephemeral quality.
If you’re interested in landscape photography, for example, the best times are usually those: the early and late hours, the sunset and sunrise hours. It gives the landscape a more mysterious aura. If that’s the effect you want to achieve, at least.
A good exercise might be to go to the same spot on different times to photograph the same scene. Early in the day, or at night, during magic/blue/golden hour, when it’s raining, or just overcast, in the middle of the day when the sun is shining bright… You’ll get a feel of how the light changes, how it affects your photos and what you like best.
Make it.