 Kris M. Hartley |
Shooting in Bright Sunlight Hi everyone! I was wondering if anyone would be able to give me some advice on shooting in really bright sunlight. Would I close the aperture a bit, or is there a filter that helps? Thanks so much! kris
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Jon Close |
- Close the aperture ... yes - Filter that helps ... yes, neutral density (also a polarizer can be effective) - Can also use slower film, lower ISO setting on digital, and set faster shutter speed. - Another problem with bright sunlight is stray light causing reflections/flare/ghosting on the lens. Using a lens hood is recommended.
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Kris M. Hartley |
Awesome ... thanks Jon! It's kind of what I thought, but I had forgotten about the lens hood ... Hopefully, we'll have some clouds tomorrow to help with the powerful sunlight. Thanks again!
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Michelle Ross |
You can also use your flash, which will sometimes help eliminate shadows and brighten faces ...
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Maria Melnyk |
Wait a second. Kris, you didn't mention what kind of photography you're doing in this bright sunlight. Are you doing landscapes or waterfalls? In that case, closing the aperture and using the above suggested polarizer is the thing to do, but that applies whether or not there is bright sunlight. If you're doing portraits, you don't want to close the aperture or use a polarizer; you want to separate your subject from the background and give your photo depth, so the thing to do is use a neutral-density filter and slow film. A polarizer will make the sky and/or water too dark to make a pleasing portrait, unless your people will be very small in the photo, and you're emphasizing the landscape. Also, if doing portraits, try to either place the person in the shade and expose for the sunny area and use fill flash. You can also use a diffuser between the sun and your subject that can soften the light so that your subject doesn't squint. But better to turn his or her back to the sun and use fill flash.
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Kerry L. Walker |
Good advice, Maria.
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Robert N. Valine |
As a photographer who shoots a lot of weddings I try to avoid bright sunlight whenever possible.I usually look for a shaded area to shoot people and portraits.Sometimes shooting in bright sunlight is unavoidable and there are many things you can do.Most of which have been covered.One other thing I'd like to mention that has been useful to me is a contrast filter.This can be very helpful when you have to shoot in mixed lighting where you have both bright sunlight and shade the image.I once shot a wedding in a wooded area where there was bright sunlight filtering through the trees giving me hotspots.A contrast filter can help in this situation.I use a tiffen Ultra contrast in these situations.
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Kris M. Hartley |
thank you all for your great advice! I will definitely keep it in mind. What I needed advice on shooting in bright daylight was a mix of landscape/scenics and people shots. But all of this advice is great! k
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Kerry L. Walker |
Give us something more specific (information you need, situation to be addressed, etc.) and we may be able to help a little more.
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Maria Melnyk |
Hi, Kris. For better landscapes in bright sunlight, try not to have the sun directly overhead or directly behind you. This is certainly acceptable if there is no other alternative, but it will produce flat lighting. If the sun can be at an angle (off to one side), the texture of the landscape will show, and your photos will be more dramatic. It helps also to shoot later in the day or early in the day; the position of the sun and the colors will be better.
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