How to take photos against the sun and get great photos. Do you know how to properly photograph against the sun to get a good photo? Sunny shoot

It would seem that the camera easily captures everything that it “sees,” but this is not at all the case. It is quite difficult to photograph bright light sources with modern technology, and before the advent of antireflective films, this task generally seemed impossible.

The light, repeatedly reflected and refracted, scattered almost until it completely disappeared - the desired shots were hopelessly ruined. Modern technologies have simplified this task - light loss due to reflection from the surface of lenses has been reduced, the effects of glare and reflections have been reduced to almost nothing, and some inventive photo artists have turned them into real visual techniques. Of course, there is something in this - such shots look truly original and unusual.

However, getting “clean” images of the solar disk is still not so easy. Not all photographers can achieve beautiful pictures in backlight - you need to try very hard to capture the sun without flare. But the result is worth it - such photographs turn out magical, images of the sun are mesmerizing and attract the attention of viewers. Is it possible to learn how to take pictures with the sun's disk? Of course, we will help you with this too!

Rules for shooting the sun

It is not very easy to create a beautiful frame with a luminary - as a rule, it is located incredibly far from objects that could form a composition with it. We have to wait until the solar disk approaches the horizon and the objects that we also want to photograph. And you need to take into account that the brightness of the sun does not contribute to its photogenicity. In this regard, the fact that it should decrease somewhat even plays into our hands.

It is almost impossible to photograph the midday luminary. The brightness interval between it and objects on the ground is excessively large - a photographic emulsion simply cannot cope with such a task. Morning and evening sun are a different matter. During these hours, almost anyone can look at the sun even without glasses. Please note that in the evening hours it seems softer - this is due to a suspension of smoke and dust, which naturally dissipates only in the morning. Thus, the morning sun is brighter than the evening sun - in fact, it is simply more visible due to the absence of this improvised filter.

In windy weather, being outside the city, you can take good shots both in the morning and in the evening. To get the most interesting result, you need to take into account the wind rose. It is known that where westerly winds prevail, sunset photographs are the most colorful. In this situation, the solar disk will set in the clouds - shots with sunset-colored clouds will be incredibly spectacular.

Want to experiment? Focus the camera not on the sun's disk, but on the object in front of it. This way the sun will lose its clarity and brightness, but will become an excellent background.

The closer the aiming plane is to the lens and the wider the aperture is open, the more spectacular the photo will be - you can watch how the image changes directly in the DSLR viewfinder.

Secrets of shooting during the day

If photography is carried out during the daytime, when the sun's disk is still high and bright, you can use some tricks. For example, partially obscure the light with foliage or another object.

For those who like experimenting, we suggest using a wide-angle lens, a red filter and Vaseline. By applying a few strokes of Vaseline to the surface of the filter, you can get a truly magical result. Sunlight, refracting through the cream, will “draw” its own pattern on the photo. Thin intersecting strokes create the effect of diverging rays, thicker traces of Vaseline will disperse the rays, making them wider and more confident.

Having “caught” the light, experiment with shapes: the rays can be crossed or even put into a star shape.
However, it will not be possible to surprise a sophisticated viewer with such a technique - such photographs come out too memorable. Seeing them for the first time, they will be admired; repetitions will seem boring. And further similar frames will be completely ignored, since they will be considered copies. Any visual technique should not only be new, but also appropriate - do not forget about this simple truth.

Try another find - photograph not the sun itself, but its reflection in the water.

Firstly, it is original, since the water breaks the reflected light into many rays, and secondly, it is a little simpler, since the reflection is not as bright as the original. Ripples from the wind will have one effect, a stone thrown into the water will have another. If you disturb the water surface right at the place of reflection, the frame will get an interesting relief and effectiveness. Professionals prefer to work in such conditions with short-focus lenses with a red, orange or polarizing filter - this will make the pictures more graphic and clearer.

If during the shooting process the matte viewfinder still “catches” glare, you will have to use a trick. Collect all the highlights into one along the optical axis, connect them with the sun - and the frame can be considered saved, of course, after cropping during printing.

Highlights

However, there is one thing that is difficult to predict when shooting, especially if you do not yet have much experience. The frame can be exposed not through the lens, but through the inner surface of the space between the film and the lens when light hits. This happens because the image that the lens projects onto the film is larger than the frame window. Light passing through the lens is reflected from internal parts and illuminates the film at the time of exposure. Such situations are not visible in the viewfinder, and therefore often come as a surprise even to professionals.

The edges of the image are in the greatest risk zone, so when shooting from the back, it is better to place the sun in the center of the composition. Or cheat by trying to hide part of the solar disk behind objects that can cover it: leaves, buildings, etc.

Bottom line

Don't forget to take frames - this can not only save the picture, but will also significantly improve it with appropriate processing. It’s best to order correction of your shots and you will definitely be pleased with the result!

Most of our most vivid memories come from summer holidays at sea, trips with friends to nature, walks in the warm rays of the sun. I want all the photos I take to turn out great, and sometimes it’s annoying to discover that the photos are not clear enough and faces are overexposed.

Setting the light correctly when taking photographs is 50% of success, but what if you have to take photographs outside on a hot sunny day? Let's take a closer look at options for shooting portraits in bright sunlight.

Take photos in the shade

The simplest thing you can do is to place the model in the shade, where the subject is not exposed to direct sunlight: near a tall building, under a tree. The main thing is that the shadow is uniform, otherwise unsightly dark spots will appear on the faces of those photographed, which are very difficult to get rid of even with the use of Photoshop. If there is no shadow nearby, it can be created using the black side of a reflector or a special umbrella.

Take photos with backlighting

In other words, turn the model away from the sun so that the rays fall on her back. Thus, the hair and body contours are highlighted, while the face remains in shadow. Depending on how high the sun is, the highlighted areas will only highlight the subject.

In any case, this option for posing the model will allow you to get a clear face in the photograph without a sharp transition from bright light to shadow.

You should also pay attention to how your camera lens perceives oncoming light. It may be necessary to close it in such lighting.

Use flash

Oddly enough, shooting with flash in bright sunlight can improve the quality of photos, and sometimes you simply cannot do without additional lighting. The main problem when shooting on a bright sunny day is the dark, heavy shadows formed under the nose and eyes of the model. The only thing that can make these shadows less noticeable is brightening the face with a flash. Experiment with the settings; decreasing or increasing the flash compensation will make the shadows look more natural.

Fill flash will make the background darker, adding extra contrast to the photo.

Use a reflector

In addition to flash, using a reflector will help smooth out shadows on the model's face. It should be placed at the bottom so that the rays of reflected light highlight the chin, areas under the nose and under the eyes. Fortunately, now there are a huge variety of compact reflectors that are convenient to carry with you.

It’s probably no secret to any photographer that a bright sunny afternoon is far from the most best period for taking photos on the street. But, nevertheless, very often it is not the photographer who dictates the time of any event from which a photo report needs to be made. For example, the opening of a monument, a rally, festive festivities in the square, a wedding, in the end. The conditions are bad, but we need to shoot. What should I do?

To ensure that your photos don’t turn out to be of poor quality, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for photographing in bright sun. I would like to think that from our article you will be able to glean the information necessary for this.

The first thing to remember is that there is practically no point in photographing nature and architecture on a sunny afternoon. The photo will turn out flat and completely ugly. This happens because at noon there are no shadows on the street - the sun is at its zenith. And this situation cannot be corrected in any way; we cannot interfere with the laws of nature. So, if you need to photograph, for example, a building, you will have to wait until the evening. Or wake up early and come to the shoot in the morning. When the sun is low above the horizon, its rays illuminate architectural objects very effectively and beautifully. Well, if such an opportunity does not present itself, then you will have to sit at the computer for a long, long time and process images in various programs.

Most often, it seems to us, the need to take portraits arises on a sunny afternoon. Let's talk about this.

So what specific problems can arise when shooting on a sunny afternoon? Let's list them in order.

1. Very clear, deep, contrasting and ugly shadows.
2. On the face of the person being portrayed, such shadows appear in the eyes, under the nose, under the chin, under the ears. These places become like deep pits.
3. If the sun's rays hit the lens, it is quite possible that glare will appear in the image.
4. If you are filming in automatic mode, then the sky in the picture turns out to be too bright, and all other objects that are included in the frame are too dark.

How to deal with these problems? Let's talk about each of them separately.

First of all, try to completely forget about the automatic mode. It would be much more rational to spend a little more time setting up the camera and still get normal pictures than to fill a flash drive with low-quality shots. That's why we recommend setting exposure compensation. Its value can be changed from -0.3 to -2, depending on the shooting conditions. Exposure compensation today allows not only almost all camera models, but even mobile phones.

On a sunny afternoon, shoot with a lens hood. It will protect you from sun glare that can form from the bright rays of the sun. Well, if you don’t have a hood, then you just need to try to shoot from such a point that the sun’s rays do not fall directly into the lens of your camera. And remember: direct sunlight is very, very harmful to the matrix digital camera. In order to reduce the impact of such rays, many experts advise using special protective ultraviolet light filters.

Well, how to get rid of very sharp and deep shadows?

Many photographers, especially beginners, will find it strange that we recommend using a flash in bright sunshine. At first glance, this is indeed absurd - there is already too much light, what is the need to illuminate a person with a flash? Everything here is quite simple. Flash can very well highlight deep black shadows on a model’s face and make these shadows softer. But do not forget that the flash power must be adjusted so that its light is not too bright. If the impulse is too bright, then the shadows on the face of the person being portrayed will disappear completely and then it will become ugly and flat, as professionals say, it will turn into a pancake. In the picture we will only get a round white spot with dots of eyes and nostrils.

The flash also adds sparkle to your model’s eyes. Many people like it, mostly young women. Plus, quite often people squint in the bright sun, and because of this, their eyes in the photo sometimes turn out not very beautiful. How to avoid this? Very simple. Ask the subject to close his eyes for a few seconds and open them just before releasing the shutter. You can say something like this to a person: “Now you close your eyes, I will count to three, and you immediately open them.”

It's good to shoot in backlit situations with flash. Simply put, the model needs to be turned with her back to the sun and photographed with flash. In this case, you will get a normally lit face and beautifully backlit hair. It’s especially good to shoot women with voluminous hair this way.

And when shooting a portrait on a bright sunny afternoon, you can simply step into the shadows. Just keep in mind: the main thing is that the face of the person being photographed is illuminated evenly. The light in the shade on a sunny afternoon is usually soft and even. Sometimes the shadow from the treetops can be very interesting - the light penetrating through the foliage falls on a person in beautiful spots and highlights. But don't forget. That in some cases these highlights and spots can ruin everything.

Let us give you one more very simple piece of advice. Use reflectors. With the help of this simple device it is very good to direct the light where you need it, for example, to poorly lit areas. This way you can noticeably soften the shadows. Well, if you don’t have a branded reflector, it’s quite possible to use any white or other non-dark-colored object whose surface can reflect light instead. For example, a white or light T-shirt, a sheet of paper, or even just a newspaper. Sometimes a light wall can also work as a reflector.

That, in fact, is the whole simple science of photographing outdoors on a bright sunny afternoon!

The advice to only photograph during golden hour is one of the most harmful pieces of advice a newbie photographer can receive.

Soft lighting, dim light and light shadows. A complete photographer's dream.

Many people take it too directly, refusing to take photographs in the middle of the day in bright sunshine.

This refusal is greatly facilitated by the abundance of colorful photographs of any genre, taken at sunrise or sunset.

But are photos taken in bright sun really that bad?

Of course not.

You can take great daytime photos because of two things:

• To the bright light
• Hard contrasting shadows

The very thing that everyone avoids, preferring to photograph during restricted hours, can provide many good shots.

It’s enough just not to try to take a photo as if in normal lighting, but to take into account the nature of daylight.

This photo was taken on a clear June day around two o'clock in the afternoon. By the shadows on the buildings you can imagine at what angle the sun was.

Is this a bad photo? Don't think.

Of course, there was a little editing involved. But without a good source code there would be nothing to process.

Two conditions

To shoot in the sun, two conditions must be met:

• Shooting is carried out in RAW format
• The scene being filmed is exposed without loss of shadows and highlights

Taking a frame on a bright day that would fit within the dynamic range of the camera and would not have flare is quite difficult.

Try not to shoot with the sun shining directly into the lens. I prefer to shoot with the sun behind me or to the side.

To prevent flare and ghosting, use a lens hood.

A properly exposed frame shot in Raw format will provide the greatest opportunities for subsequent editing. When you can soften hard shadows without fear of reducing contrast.

About portraits

I've come across the statement that photographing landscapes or architecture in bright sunshine is one thing. Shooting portraits is impossible in principle.

My attempts to explain that it is not a matter of the genre of photography, but an understanding of light, usually did not lead to success.

Therefore, I turned to the works of Caravaggio (wiki), whose authority no one dared to challenge.

Look how hard the shadows and high contrast are in the painting “Saint Jerome” by Caravaggio. How color saturation changes from light to dark areas.

Shadows suggest that the light is coming from above at a large angle to the horizon. This is indirectly confirmed by the legend that Caravaggio wrote using light from the round window in the roof of his workshop.

We must admit the sad fact that many photographers simply do not know how to work with lighting if it differs from a couple of common lighting schemes.

To successfully shoot in bright sun, you need to realize that daylight can't be bad.

He's just different.

This is the most important thing you should understand from this article.

This is the most common question when it comes to this technique. It is very important to use manual mode to achieve the desired effect. Many people say they shoot in Manual mode, but in reality this is not entirely true because they still use a light meter to set the settings. Most likely, it works just fine in your camera, but it is still not always accurate, especially if you are shooting into the sun. In this situation, the sensor thinks the image will be overexposed, so if you make adjustments based on this information, your image will end up underexposed. Forget about what the sensor says and set the exposure for the skin of the subject, using the histogram, preview on the display, do not forget to turn on the highlight indicator - make sure that the area in which the face is located is not blinking. In a situation like this, it's completely normal for the entire background to be completely overexposed, in fact, this is exactly what gives the romantic mystery you're going for.