Taking Photographs in Harsh Light / Bright Sunshine

People often ask me why the photographs they take outside on a nice sunny day do not look as nice as they had hoped.  Most people assume that the sunnier the better when it comes to taking photographs outside.  However, this is far from the truth. 

Most of us want photographs that have warmth and depth in them.  The ideal time to take photographs outside, whether you are taking pictures of a landscape or a portrait, is actually late afternoon and around sunset.  Sunrise is perfect too but I doubt many of us are outside at sunrise taking photographs of our family!  The low sun gives a wonderful warm glow to the image and does not create harsh shadows and bright hotspots.

View fullsize

Taken close to sunset.  The low sun adds a warm glow to the photo

A common issue with portrait photographs taken outside is that they tend to look flat.  This is caused by having the sun right in front of the subject.  The light hits the entire face and causes the flat, blown out image.  Soft shadows will add depth to the image and can be easily achieved by rotating your friend/child/family member round so that the sun is not directly in front of them, at their ’12 o’clock’. 

View fullsize

By turning your subject's head away from the bright sun, you add a soft shadow to the face and create instant depth in the photo.

However, most of the time, we do not get a choice over when we need to take a picture.  If you’re in the park at midday and you want to take a photograph of your child, then what do you do?  Ideally in this situation, you want to find some shade, either next to a tree or the shadow cast by the side of a building.

If there are no obvious places you can use then you can still take great photos outside in the sunshine.  The tip is to get your subject between you and the sun.  Their face will be away from the sun and so there will be an even shadow across it and the sun behind, will act like a lovely back light and highlight the edges of the subject.  

Now....... all we need is for the sun to return! 

View fullsize

The Burj Khalifa at sunset

Shooting at sunrise or sunset is a must when taking photographs of buildings and landscapes.  The light in pictures taken at any other time is simply too harsh.

Tips for Taking Great Photographs of Children

These days we all love to take photos of our children.  Either with a digital camera or more commonly, with our mobile phones.  The camera on many of the top end mobile phones is probably better than any DSLR camera from 5-6yrs ago.  

So here are some basic tips to help you take better photographs of your children. 

Tip 1: Shoot at their level.  As (tall) adults we are used to seeing children from one perspective.... 5-6 feet up.  We are always looking down at them and when we take their pictures we hold the camera up to our eye and shoot away.  This usually leads to a picture where the child's proportions can look odd and can result in a boring photograph.  It is also the way we see our child every day.  

Next time, get down on your knees and shoot from their level.  Straight await, you have a stronger image and things just look much better! 

View fullsize

Get down on your knees and shoot from your child's level! 

Tip 2:  Don't use the 'S-word'.  I don't mean refrain from swearing, as I hope that you don't swear in front of your child anyway!  I'm saying that it's often not a good idea to tell a child to SMILE.  Almost always, this results in a cheesy, fake grin that just looks fake.

The challenge is to capture a natural emotion.  Talk to your child.  It doesn't matter what about but engage in them.  Be silly, tell a silly joke, make a funny sound, pretend to fall over.  Children are naturally happy people and need only the slightest excuse to smile and giggle.

Tip 3: Stay Calm and Carry On!   Children are very temperamental and sometimes the last thing they want to do is pose for a photo.  There's a saying that 'The Camera Looks Both Ways'.  What this means is that the subject will often reflect the expressions/emotions of the photographer.  If you are stressed and frustrated, then your subject will reflect this.

Tips for photographing children - Stay calm! 

So, if you find that your child doesn't want to have their photograph taken, then don't get stressed or force them.  Just put the camera aside for a moment and change the subject.  More often than not, the child will soon spring back to life!

Now go out and shoot away!  Before you know it, your child will be a grumpy teenager and no number of tips can help you there!