A question I get asked ALL the time is “How do I take great portraits during midday sun?” The sunlight is harsh, deep shadows are everywhere, but we still want our photos to come out looking great. How can I do this?
Today, I want to talk about a type of light called open shade. When the sun is high and generally unflattering for portraits, you can still create a beautiful photograph with any camera that you have with you. You just need to look for the right light following these 3 easy steps:
1. Seek out a pocket of shade.
2. Look for where there is some open sky by that spot.
3. Stick your subject fully in the shade, facing that open sky.
It really is that simple. Watch the one minute video below that I posted to my Instagram stories to show you exactly how it’s done.
Below are two examples of shooting in open shade with a DSLR camera. I’m using my 35mm lens and shooting at f/2.5. These images are SOOC – straight out of camera. (Which means completely unedited.)
In image A, Landon is standing in full shade facing an open area with a bright sky. He has beautiful indirect light illuminating his skin and filling his eyes with light. There are zero shadows on his face and his skin
To create image B, all I did was turn him 180 degrees towards the dark area that is behind him in the first image. You can see that his skin appears greenish-yellow because the grass in front of him is reflecting light onto his face. There is almost no light in his eyes and his face is mostly in shadow and midtones.
I hope you found this tip helpful and that you’ll put it into practice so that you can remember to look for pretty light at any time of day. My DSLR Bootcamp workshop covers ELEVEN different types of light and how to best capture portraits in these varying situations. Not ready for the full on workshop experience? Try my Smartphone Photography course and learn the two main types of light and how best to use them to capture beautiful images!
Did you know that I give away more FREE photography tips like this to my email list and in my Instagram stories and posts? Follow along so you don’t miss out! I also have a Facebook group that’s a safe place where you can ask questions and show off your latest photos!
