The Right Light Makes All The DifferenceWriten by Brian Tremblay
I remember when I first started out in photography I had my little Kodak Instamatic camera and the instruction book it came with. There used to be diagrams that would show you how to place a subject in relationship to the sun. It always showed the person with the camera having the sun at their backs and the subject was bathed in its rays. I look back on them now and laugh!
If you follow that method you will definitely keep photographers like me employed because your subjects are going to look horrible! If you position the person youre going to take a picture of in direct sunlight of any kind whether its coming from behind the photographer or not will result in harsh shadows on the face. The eyes will be in shadow, theyll squint, there will be a large shadow under the nose and every wrinkle will show on the persons face.
So, what is the best light for taking a persons picture in? Shade. We photographers refer to it as open shade. That means that the light is very soft, casts little shadow, but does have some direction, which helps model the features of the subject. Most importantly, in this type of light, your subject wont be squinting and theyll look great.
You can find open shade in a variety of places. The most obvious is the shade of a tree. Another great place is the shade of a building. Open shade usually occurs in middle to late afternoon.
When I photograph a wedding many of the brides are mystified when I see that the day has become over cast and cloudy. Of course every bride wishes her day to be all sunshine and flowers, but I love it when the clouds move and block out the sun. It acts like a big studio soft box or umbrella. In this type of light you can almost put your subject in any location at all.
Once and while you arent able to seek out that open shade of a building or a stand of trees and youre forced to work in bright sunlight. Dont fret. Theres still hope! Move your subject to where the harsh sun is the least problematic and turn their back to the sun. Their face is now shaded from the unkind effects of the light. But, if you take a shot like that your camera will read the bright background and expose for it leaving the subject dark. So, step close; fill the cameras viewfinder with the subjects face, partially depress the shutter button and hold it. Then, step back, recompose the subject within the viewfinder and fully depress the shutter button. Now you should have your subject exposed properly
So, next time youre out with your camera and youd like to take a snap shot of your favourite friend or family member, have a look around for open shade and place your subject in that light and then take your photo. Youll see a great difference in your photographs.
Brian Tremblay is a professional photographer. You can see his work at his website He's also the author of the ebook How To Take Great Photos With Your Point and Shoot Camera