Welcome to Tutorial Tuesday! Sarah of Naptime Momtog and I will be bringing you a new challenge every week, to stretch your shooting and editing skills.This week we have the lovely Rebecca from Bumbles & Light. If you haven’t checked out Rebecca’s blog make sure you click over immediately. Seriously, you will be inspired. This week she is giving some tips on shooting in direct sunlight, which is perfect since Summer is almost here.Also be sure to click over to Sarah’s blog for today’s lesson on shooting in Direct Sunlight. I’ll give you a short preview:
Sadly, not all of the fun things in life or the memories we want to capture happen during the gentle, soft light of overcast days or during those beautiful hours before sunset. Life goes on at all hours of the day.
On those gorgeous bright days during the summer, you most likely wont want to schedule a formal portrait session when the sun is bright and high in the sky, but you still want to be able to photograph your kids at play. Sometimes it’s possible to move into open shade or to create your own shade, if you’re prepared then you can also perhaps use a reflector or fill flash where needed. If your subject is in bright light, you’re just shooting casually and you still want to capture the moment, there are a few things you can do to make the best of it.
- Have your subject’s back to the sun
- Metering
- Use shadows to your advantage
- Focus on details
I really try to avoid high sun as much as possible, however, I don’t always have a choice. On Saturday, I had a client session at 10 am. Fortunately, it was a bit overcast so I had beautiful and even light for most of our shoot. Unfortunately, towards the end of our shoot, the sun decided to come out…forcing me to apply some of Rebecca’s tips. In addition, it just so happened that I had my reflector. When all else fails, a reflector can block or redirect the sunlight. Granted, I didn’t use it in the shot below, but every post deserves a picture…and it just so happens that I had full sun in this shot. I’ll be sure to share more from this session on Friday.
Ready to join in the fun? Here’s how to do it:
1. Read through today’s tutorial: Click HERE.
2. Choose your favorite shot (or more!) to share with us.
3. Don’t forget to grab the button for your post!
4. Link up between now and next Monday.
PS: If you have any photography or editing suggestions, please don’t hesitate to let Sarah or me know! We would love to feature your tutorial.
