The camera is unable to capture the image exactly the way your eye sees it, because it cannot register the range of contrasts the same way your eye and mind can when working together. But it also has great potential for high impact, as with dramatic silhouettes. The quality of the light will also have an effect on your subject. Bright, direct light will create hard shadows and reflections. Soft, diffused light will soften those edges and help bring out colors and patterns.
Dappled light can be a benefit or a curse, depending on the subject.
Watch how the light affects your subject, especially outdoors. Light is ever changing, and the alternating shadows and variations of tone will have an effect on your composition. Light has direction. Determine whether front lighting, side lighting, or back lighting is most appropriate for your subject. Your eye perceives a subject based on its spatial relationship with its surroundings.