Photo Tip :: Shooting in Direct Sunlight

Lighting is really difficult in photography. I'm not someone who personally uses a lot (or really any) flash or exterior lighting in my photos - both due to personal preference and because most of my situations do not call for it. I feel like natural light can be a tricky thing to deal with, but also can give you the most amazing light source if you play with it well. What's even harder is when you don't have time to wait for golden hour (aka the first and last hour of sunlight with great lighting) and you have a great place to take photos, but harsh lighting. Here are my suggestions on how to deal.

Backlit, small lens flare. Works because the building behind me is blocking some of the sun out.

Backlit (kinda from the side though) and not working for me. I'm too dark and in really harsh shadows. 

Backlight with Caution
Backlighting can be AMAZING or downright awful. Be careful! Having the subject in front of a very lit area when they are slightly shaded usually turns out worse. You'll also need to check the exposure as often, it will darken your subject or blow out background.

'Open' Shade
One of the keys to really great direct sunlight is finding shady areas that still allow for a lot of light. Parks and yards can have a lot of this - under a large tree or area of trees usually have a lot of this 'open' shade I'm talking about. This would also be under an umbrella outside, an overhang, or somewhere else blocking the direct rays. Basically, think about the lighting you get standing in a tropical forest, like the photo of Jason above in Hawaii. This will give you less shadows and distribute the light more evenly.

Get Really Close, Okay?
It's time for your close up! Detail shots can work really well close up because you/your camera are covering up some of the light!

Stand Against a Building
Let the building block some light as you and act as a reflector! Perhaps it can provide you some open shade too :D

Use a High Shutter Speed
I like to use the highest shutter speed and lowest aperture to try and freeze any movement, like fountains or jumping.

Take It All In
Alternately, using a high aperture can also have a great effect when you really want to capture the background in daylight. Here, I was able to let the sunlight capture all the detail on a much higher aperture than I ever set my camera at. If you are shooting with a landscape and no shade, this is definitely the way to go.


Play with Shadows
If you have interesting patterns with your shadows, embrace it! Look for fun patterns in the shadows and see what you can come up with. Railings and trees are wonderful for this.


Just Do It
Disney photos are often blown out for me.  I've got some harsh shadows a lot because it's open sun in Florida. Take your photos on a high shutter speed and make sure to focus on your subject. Then rely on editing to take care of some of it for you. Here are some little editing tips for direct sunlight.

-Take down the highlights/whites.
-Take the shadows up.
-Adjust your exposure.
-Play with curves and levels.