lighting in harsh sun

[jamiebonline]

hi guys

these days i am shooting portraits a lot in very direct daytime sun. can't shoot in golden hours. here are my options:
backlight and expose for the subject
backlight and use reflector (i don't use or have a flash right now)
use open shade

and another option? what about having the sun directly lighting the subject? the shadows are harsh and the subject will squint unless they looking away or have sunglasses i know but still it is doable. but how do i counteract the harsh contrast? any exposure tricks to soften things? i have seen some pics like this that worked but not sure how they are doing them. it might all be done in post. also they were black and white not colour.

thanks for any ideas

 

[TrolleySwag]

I'm looking into getting a 5 in 1 reflector kit. I saw some YouTube vids on it.

 

[Braineack]

back/side light and reflector, or shade and reflector.

 

[Bryston3bsst]

Scrim.

 

[paigew]

What is your subject? What types of photos are you trying to achieve? I shoot in full sun almost daily and never use flash or reflector. You can use the sun in any direction you want! Here is an example of full sun straight on like you mentioned...yes he is squinty, only way to avoid a squint is to ask you subjects to close their eyes, put sunglasses on, or try to catch them in between long "blinks".

 

[jamiebonline]

What is your subject? What types of photos are you trying to achieve? I shoot in full sun almost daily and never use flash or reflector. You can use the sun in any direction you want! Here is an example of full sun straight on like you mentioned...yes he is squinty, only way to avoid a squint is to ask you subjects to close their eyes, put sunglasses on, or try to catch them in between long "blinks".
View attachment 105499

What about the high contrast and strong shadows? How to do you manage them? I know I can use the sun full on the subject but I tend to get pics that are flat looking and unflattering.

 

[paigew]

You gotta embrace the sun and use it for what it is...harsh shadows and high contrast. Find a way to make the shadows and contrast work. Expose for the brightest part of skin. Show us some photos and maybe we can help!

All these were taken in full sun

 

[tirediron]

... (i don't use or have a flash right now)...

Then buy one! At a time when you can buy a basic, manual flash & triggers for <$75, that's really a pretty lame excuse. NOTHING tames sunlight like more light. In addition, as mentioned, scrims are an excellent option, especially when used in conjunction with supplemental light. Reflectors are very useful, but 99% of the ones I see used are too small to do the job. Follow the rule of thumb that the working distance of the modifier (reflector in this case) is no more than 1.5 times its size (and ideally less), and that that it is at least 2/3 (ideally more) the size of the subject you are trying to light. To simplify: if you are trying to shoot a full body portrait of a 6' man, then the smallest reflector you should use is 4' and it should be NO MORE than 6' away.

The problem with reflectors, scrims, V-flats, et al, especially when used out of doors is they're very difficult to manage without an assistant. Lights on the other hand, sit politely on their stands and are ready to be used at any time. Save your money and buy some lights. Life will become much, much easier.

Just to show you what can be done... This image was shot in mid-afternoon, and was very strongly backlit. The sun was almost overhead and just behind the subject. Granted, you're not going to be able to achieve this with a single speedlight; I was using a studio pack & head lighting system here, but in total, only a couple of hundred w/s of light, so taming the sun really isn't that difficult.

 

[jamiebonline]

... (i don't use or have a flash right now)...

Then buy one! At a time when you can buy a basic, manual flash & triggers for <$75, that's really a pretty lame excuse.

that's a pretty lame excuse? thanks But I see you are being helpful. I had a good speedlight and triggers and softbox. But I sold them. Why? Because they were a pain in the neck to carry and set up and in the end I got flat looking images even using the softbox. Flash is after all, artificial and you can see this when you look closer at the subject in the picture. That an artificial light is illuminating them. You had to buy even more gear to do the shot you posted. And high speed synch too, no? And I imagine the setting up is not so easy. Maybe now it sounds like I am lazy! I just love to work entirely with natural light where possible and my original question was about how to use direct sun effectively.

Reflectors can be a bit tricky too. Agreed. It's necessary to have an assistant most of the time. Maybe it is about personal taste.

You gotta embrace the sun and use it for what it is...harsh shadows and high contrast. Find a way to make the shadows and contrast work. Expose for the brightest part of skin. Show us some photos and maybe we can help!

All these were taken in full sun

Thanks yes the one on the right is especially nice. It seems you are perhaps slightly underexposing? I need to experiment more. Do you reduce contrast in post also?

 

[tirediron]

... that's a pretty lame excuse? thanks But I see you are being helpful. I had a good speedlight and triggers and softbox. But I sold them. Why? Because they were a pain in the neck to carry and set up and in the end I got flat looking images even using the softbox. Flash is after all, artificial and you can see this when you look closer at the subject in the picture. That an artificial light is illuminating them. You had to buy even more gear to do the shot you posted. And high speed synch too, no? And I imagine the setting up is not so easy. Maybe now it sounds like I am lazy! I just love to work entirely with natural light where possible and my original question was about how to use direct sun effectively.

First off, light is light. There is no difference between a photon arriving from the sun, and one from a speedlight. They manne in which they are generated is different, but the light with the exception of colour temperature is identical. In short, all light is natural light, but that which comes from man-made sources is more easily controlled.

Could I have produced the image above with less gear? Absolutely! I used what I had (1) because I had it, and (2) because I'd rather deal with AC power sources then batteries; purely personal preference. No more or less difficult to set up than a speedlight on a light stand. As for HSS? Nope... 1/250, manual exposure, and PWs to trigger my Speedotron pack.

I understood your question; my point was that it is much easier to add some controllability in the form of supplemental light into the equation and negate the requirement for huge scrims and reflectors on set.

 

[paigew]

Thanks yes the one on the right is especially nice. It seems you are perhaps slightly underexposing? I need to experiment more. Do you reduce contrast in post also?

I'm not underexposing here is a before and after. I actually add contrast.

 

[dcbear78]

Then buy one! At a time when you can buy a basic, manual flash & triggers for <$75, that's really a pretty lame excuse. NOTHING tames sunlight like more light.

This!!!

I've recently taken on learning the art of flash photography. And it is amazing what can be done when you control light.

Here is a shot taken at 2pm in the strong northern Australian sun (equivalent to approx Miami). You can see the sunlight on the top of her head. Using a studio strobe and a softbox eliminated the harsh shadows giving a photo that doesn't look like it was shot in broad daylight.

Brittney Shenae by Crew One Photography, on Flickr

Learning manual, off camera flash techniques is such am amazing challenge, but so so rewarding!

 

[paigew]

@dcbear78 What would you suggest doing if the op is in a situation where they want an image but don't have a flash. Or are in a situation where flash won't work (family photography/busy toddlers/beach vacation/backpacking in the mountains). Do you carry your flash set up with you at all times? I feel it is vital for a photographer to know how to use all types of light....natural, and artificial.

Sure if you are shooting an adult model flash is all fine and dandy...but try shooting an outdoor wedding, or some other fast paced (outdoor) event moving around your flash non stop just isn't practical. You need to learn how to shoot in all types of light.

 

[KmH]

I had a good speedlight and triggers and softbox. But I sold them. Why? Because they were a pain in the neck to carry and set up and in the end I got flat looking images even using the softbox. Flash is after all, artificial and you can see this when you look closer at the subject in the picture. That an artificial light is illuminating them. You had to buy even more gear to do the shot you posted. And high speed synch too, no? And I imagine the setting up is not so easy. Maybe now it sounds like I am lazy! I just love to work entirely with natural light where possible and my original question was about how to use direct sun effectively.

Yep a lot of photographers today say the same things.
Light quality and direction is usually what separates a stunning photograph from a mediocre photograph.
Learning how to light to make high quality photographs does take some time, effort, and equipment.

You just need to know these 3 things:
1. There is no way to effectively use direct sunlight by itself .
2. There is no way to effectively use direct sunlight by itself.
3. There is no way to effectively use direct sunlight by itself.
Pretty much every photo you make with only direct sunlight will require sacrificing image quality in one way or another.

For portraits, open shade and a reflector is about the least equipment you can get by with.
For action (not field sports) or environmental portrait photographs at least 1 off camera hot shoe flash unit is about the least equipment you can get by with. If possible, add a scrim to your basic 1 flash unit outdoor lighting kit.

A hand held bare, diffused, or bounced hot shoe flash unit does not look like flash if set to a lower than full power setting and held at an appropriate height and angle. Actually, a DSLR pop up flash unit used properly can suffice for adding fill light in an outdoor direct lighting situation.

 

[dcbear78]

@dcbear78 What would you suggest doing if the op is in a situation where they want an image but don't have a flash. Or are in a situation where flash won't work (family photography/busy toddlers/beach vacation/backpacking in the mountains). Do you carry your flash set up with you at all times? I feel it is vital for a photographer to know how to use all types of light....natural, and artificial.

Sure if you are shooting an adult model flash is all fine and dandy...but try shooting an outdoor wedding, or some other fast paced (outdoor) event moving around your flash non stop just isn't practical. You need to learn how to shoot in all types of light.

Absolutely... Got to work with the conditions you have. Strobes and softboxes on stands are not of any use with families etc as mentioned. I wouldn't ever contemplate using lights with kids. I do my share of natural lighting shots. Shooting raw and being able to recover shadows is so useful for this.

Personally I always have 2 speedlights on me. One TTL (Nikon SB-700) and one manual Cactus V6 plus 2 Cactus RF60 transceivers. In a constantly changing environment such as weddings, on camera TTL is very useful (although something I haven't done a lot of). And my strobes are always in the boot of my car when needed.... But most of what I do is planned ahead of time.

Personally I'm a massive fan of backlighting. It avoids the squinty look. No flash used here...

Brooke Lee Models by Crew One Photography, on Flickr