in a good light

1. Under favorable circumstances, as in They thought he'd make a wonderful mayor, but they'd only seen him in a good light, or The book portrayed their actions in a good light. Both this expression and its antonym, in a bad light, transfer physical light in which something can (or cannot) be seen clearly to figurative use. The literal terms date from the early 1500s.

Example Sentences

“I thought I showed them in a good light but I guess they felt that I showed too many of the warts and not enough of the clear skin.”

From Los Angeles Times

He alleged that the prison authorities would only feed and clothe the inmates well in the immediate run-up to visits by Red Cross delegates, and in order to "take photos" that would let the prison appear in a good light.

From BBC

In addition to the intangible benefits of showing the city in a good light for visitors and 50-plus million people watching on TVs, phones and tablets, the economic impact was expected to exceed $160 million and that’s when local organizers were expecting 400,000 fans to attend the three-day event.

From Seattle Times

"While most people are willing to do the right thing when they are fully informed of the consequences of their actions, this willingness is not always because people care for others. A part of the reasons why people act altruistically is due to societal pressures as well as their desire to view themselves in a good light. Since being righteous is often costly, demanding people to give up their time, money and effort, ignorance offers an easy way out."

From Science Daily

"It really reflects poorly on the White House press corps, and it reflects poorly on the White House for allowing that to happen. It seems like there's collusion, and for the public that has distrust, skepticism and even disdain for the media, it doesn't put us in a good light."

From Salon