We've all heard it before: photography lighting is the single most important aspect of your shot. Bad light means a bad photograph, period. Well, that's great. But what exactly constitutes good and bad lighting? And if you're not a professional photographer equipped with a studio and a series of floodlights, how can you make the most of the lighting you have?

Dynamic lights

Light is energy. In fact, light is the only reason we're able to see. So when you take a photograph, light is more than just the force enabling you to see the subject of the photograph. In a very real way, light is the subject of every photograph. The first step in getting perfect photography lighting is coming to view light as something dynamic and alive, as a living part of your photograph.

In more practical terms, the first step to doing that is to consider what kind of light you want in a photograph. What do you want to highlight? Is your subject in light that washes it out or shadows it? How could you position them, or it, to give it a more dramatic edge?

Think about lighting at a play. Theaters use light to highlight important moments, to draw your attention to specific characters or locations, and to heighten tension. Photography lighting can work in the exact same way. Of course, you probably don't have spotlights to work with. But if you can get a different quality of light on your subject, or place them in a natural spotlight, you'll have duplicated the effect.

The dreaded backlight

Often people shy away from backlight. When light hits a subject from behind, it can create problems in terms of photography lighting -- unwanted effects such as flares or problems with exposure. But if you can overcome your fears, you'll be amazed at the dramatic potential backlight creates within a photograph.

Backlighting makes your subject come alive, separating it from the background and giving a three dimensional quality to a two dimensional image. Armed with your digital camera, you can always get rid of backlit photos that don't turn out. But when they do, you'll wonder why you ever feared backlighting in the first place!

Stick to the shadows

If you really want to increase your awareness of photography lighting, pay attention to where the light isn't as well as where it is. Shadows create incredible dramatic impact in a photograph, and many photographers look right past them.

Consider where the shadows are, what they're highlighting, and what they're hiding. Look at how they emphasize aspects of the photograph, and use them to give your shot an edge over the competition.

Remember, photography lighting is about more than spotlights, and with a bit of practice, you'll have no trouble telling good light from bad! And for more tips related to photography lighting, please visit 7PhotographyQuestions.com.