How to: Shoot into the Sun

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Flutterby
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How to: Shoot into the Sun

Post by Flutterby »

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By Elizabeth Halford on Nov 23rd 2011

The first rule I ever learned about taking photos was to take them with the sun to my back so it lit the subject and didn’t cause what I came to know as ‘backlighting’. This presents a few problems – primarily that if your subject is a person, he/she will be squinting into the bright sun.
Sometimes, shooting with the sun at your back can offer a perfectly acceptable solution. I love photographing people with the sunset behind me, lighting their faces with a beautiful golden glow. So let’s get ‘stuck in’ and discuss the various issues surrounding photographing in the sun.

1. The 'Golden Hour'
The ‘golden hour’ happens twice a day. It is the one hour just after sunrise and before sunset. Shadows are longer, the color is warmer and the light is softer. When photographing people, especially an engagement session (or any session without children who will be cranky and ready for bed) I love suggesting a time two hours before sun down. The first hour is spent getting into the ‘groove’ and, once they’re comfortable, I try to catch the best images using those last few rays of warm sunlight.

2. Make Shade
Shade can come in many various forms – trees, buildings, crouching down next to a car. If you need shade, but have none, make some! This is where having an extra pair of hands comes in handy. Make shade with an umbrella or even a piece of foam board. In the reflector family of accessories, there are translucent panels which can filter the sun to tone it down a notch.

3. Use a Flash
Using a flash in the sun completely blew my mind when I realized it could be done. So not only am I a crazed momarazza chasing my children around on the beach with a ginormous camera, it also has a massive speedlite attached!
I love placing a subject with the sun to their back using a flash. Take your flash out in the sun and just let the magic happen.

4. Camera Settings

ISO
The ISO level needs to be higher in low light situations, but luckily with the type we’re talking about today, noise won’t be a problem for you as it is with lower light photography. Set it as low as possible (mine goes down to 100). As with all camera settings, don’t forget to check them before shooting.

Shutter Speed
Shutter speed is like blinking your eye. While aperture dictates how much light enters your camera, shutter speed dictates for how long the eye is open. Higher levels of light mean that your shutter need not be open very long to let that light flood in. Shooting at higher shutter speeds is required for sports, and is great for photographing fast-moving children.

Aperture
Like I just said above, aperture is like the pupil of your eye. When shooting in manual mode, you have to tell the pupil how wide to open. The lower the number in f/stops, the wider the opening and the more light being let in to hit the camera’s sensor. Be careful, though, because lower f/stops (wider apertures) create more shallow depth of field (DOF) and can result in most of the image being blurry apart from a bit of sharpness in the foreground. But since we’re talking sunny, wide open apertures aren’t necessary because you aren’t in low light conditions.

5. Sunny 16
“Sunny 16″ is the rule that says to set your aperture to 16 (using AV mode on your camera) in bright sun-lit situations. If you’re in full manual mode, remember ISO should be at 100. And for shutter speed, try 1/100 or 1/125. For faster shutter speeds, you may find it helpful to bump up the ISO to 200.
A variation of Sunny 16 is to set your shutter speed nearest to the reciprocal of the ISO speed and the aperture accordingly.

6. Lens Hoods
Lens hoods are devices which attach to the end of your lens to block streams of sunlight from causing unwanted glare and lens flare. If you’re like me, you’ll find they’re also useful for protecting your glass when you forget to put your lens cap back on.

7. If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em
Then there’s always the option of chilling out and letting the sun do it’s own thing. Go wild – take the lens hood off and allow the sun flare. You may be very pleasantly surprised.

8. Safety
When the sun is concerned, there are safety measures which should always be taken. Always use appropriate sun protection (although it is difficult to wear sunglasses while looking through a viewfinder) and never ever look at the sun, not even through your lens. The camera may feel like a safety measure, but looking at the sun through the camera is just as dangerous.

9. Finally
Finally, the sun can be your greatest ally or a pain in the neck. Anyone can hide from the sun but it takes guts to boldly stand out and say, ‘you don’t scare me!’


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PRWIN
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Re: How to: Shoot into the Sun

Post by PRWIN »

Numberv 5. I don't agree with. F16 will bring your speed down and in wild life you want the fastest speed at the best ISO possible. I would not go higher than F8.

What do you do with a fixed lense of F2.8 0*\ 0*\


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Sprocky
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Re: How to: Shoot into the Sun

Post by Sprocky »

PRWIN wrote:Numberv 5. I don't agree with. F16 will bring your speed down and in wild life you want the fastest speed at the best ISO possible. I would not go higher than F8.

What do you do with a fixed lense of F2.8 0*\ 0*\
:-? Give it to someone nice.......like ME!!! =O:


Sometimes it’s not until you don’t see what you want to see, that you truly open your eyes.
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PRWIN
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Re: How to: Shoot into the Sun

Post by PRWIN »

^0^ =O: =O: =O: =O:

Will be upgrading March to that sort of equipment :-)


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Michele Nel
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Re: How to: Shoot into the Sun

Post by Michele Nel »

PRWIN wrote:Numberv 5. I don't agree with. F16 will bring your speed down and in wild life you want the fastest speed at the best ISO possible. I would not go higher than F8.

What do you do with a fixed lense of F2.8 0*\ 0*\

Sunny 16 works in that "landscape situation" but yes not really with wildlife. I use F16 quite effectively when touring around from place to place and I want that shot ..of course taking it at sunset or sunrise would be better but one cannot only take shots at the right time...am I going to let the shot go...
No....I am going to use the "sunny 16" rule and at least get something.:)


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PRWIN
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Re: How to: Shoot into the Sun

Post by PRWIN »

Hi Michele

I agree in landscape as you want that depth of field and you can use a tripod .I would even go higher if the lense will allow as the more depth you get the better for the shot :-)


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