Hurrah, friends! Summer is literally in a couple of days, which means that the season of beautiful sunny photos that will brighten up our long winter evenings is open. Today we will talk about how you can take a beautiful portrait on a bright sunny day.
I have said many times that good lighting is the key to good photography. And it seems - so here are the ideal conditions: bright light - great pictures. But not everything is so simple.
Unfortunately, the rule “more light - better pictures» works. And in the case of portrait shooting on a bright sunny day, we generally face a number of serious problems.
For example, shooting on a sunny afternoon, when the sun is at its zenith and the light is falling directly on top of the model, often results in deep shadows on the model's face. With the upper hard light on the face, a very contrasting black and white pattern is obtained - strong shadows under the eyes, nose, chin. Such lighting can spoil even the most beautiful girl. Yes, and posing under the scorching sun is not an easy task. Try going outside on a hot summer afternoon without sunglasses, without squinting, and looking relaxed and natural. So why don't we take pictures at noon at all now? Of course, it is better to choose a more favorable time of the day for a photo session, but sometimes we have no choice. Just remember about small tricks that will make your life much easier and improve the quality of your photos.
1. Shoot in the shade
Unless you're shooting in the desert, even on the hottest afternoon, you can always find open shade - from large buildings, trees, awnings, etc. In the shadows, the light is very soft, and you will get photos with even lighting on the model's face. Shooting in the shade will allow you to avoid the hassle of working with harsh sunlight. The key point here is to find not the darkest place, but rather an evenly darkened area (a large uniform shadow), where the light, albeit in a small amount, falls evenly on the face. Taking pictures under trees with sparse foliage is not a good idea, because the foliage will make your face look like a kaleidoscope of brightly lit and dark spots.
Try using a wide-brimmed hat or umbrella to create an evenly shaded area. Or ask the assistant to hold the reflector so that the shadow covers the face of the model. When moving from bright light to shade, don't forget to adjust the white balance.
2. Use a reflector
Any surface that has the property of reflecting light towards the subject can act as a reflector. If you are planning a photo session and prepare in advance for shooting, be sure to bring a reflector with you. I usually use silver and white reflectors, if you want to add warmth to your shots you can use a gold reflector with care. Especially well suited for red-haired or dark-skinned models. If you don’t have a reflector at hand, you can use improvised materials. Any white or light surface can serve as a reflector. A light wall, a white T-shirt, aluminum foil, or a windshield reflector in a car can all be used for shooting. Position the reflector opposite to the direction of light incidence - so that the reflected light falls on the model's face slightly from below and from the side. This will fill in and soften deep shadows. If it's on a sandy beach, it's even easier. Ask the model to lie down on the sand, and the amount of light reflected from the light sand will be enough to illuminate the model's face.
3. Use a diffuser (diffuser)
The diffuser softens the direct luminous flux and thereby reduces the possibility of overexposure. It also increases the surface area of the light source, resulting in much softer shadows from the subject. 3-rasseivatel-hand-made1
The simplest and yet quite effective flash diffuser can be made by hand, using thick white paper and an elastic band to secure the paper to the flash. In principle, any white translucent material can be used to create a diffuser. The main thing is to show a little imagination, but for people who do not want to reinvent the wheel, there are ready-made serial universal flash diffusers.
4. Use flash
It may sound illogical, but it is the flash that allows us to deal with hard shadows on the model's face. The flash works as a fill light and removes unnecessarily darkened areas. If your camera allows you to change the intensity of the flash, then experiment with the flash compensation settings and find a value that will remove shadows, but at the same time will not overly intensively and artificially highlight the face. To get the best possible shot, set the exposure a few stops down. Check the result and make sure that the image was not too bright or, on the contrary, dark. The flash slightly darkens the background, which in this case only plays into our hands. A slight light contrast between the face and the background will give the photo more depth. Using the flash will also allow you to shoot the model even with the sun behind her. The light falling from behind will beautifully highlight the hair, highlight the contour of the shoulders, giving the photo a certain charm.
How to take pictures with a flash during the day and why do you need a flash during the day?
The question seems meaningless, but when it comes to practice, it turns out that a flash, even on the sunniest day, can be an indispensable tool in the hands of a photographer.
In general, it is generally accepted that a flash helps when there is little light, that is, serves as an additional source of light in poor lighting - in the evening, at night, in the house, in the shade of trees, in cloudy weather. But when there is a lot of light, it can and should also be used. As they say - there is never enough good light.
So during the day a flash is needed as shadow softening from the sun or other strong and harsh light sources. Mostly the flash is used during the day for photographing portraits. The harsh light of the sun can make very strong shadows on people's faces. Flash can soften these shadows.
Suppressing shadows on people's faces in high-speed sync mode
True, there are daytime flash restrictions. For portraits, it is recommended to use fast lenses. For example, a lens with an aperture of F2.8 and set to ISO 200 will require about 1/2000s-1/4000s on a sunny day. But there is flash sync concept with the camera shutter, and often this synchronization reaches a certain limit. Basically, built-in flashes can work with shutter speeds no shorter than 1/200, 1/250s, or 1/320s, of course there are exceptions - this, etc. which can use shutter speeds up to 1/500s, but still, it's too long to photograph in daylight. But even if you have , you can take pictures at faster shutter speeds only if your camera allows it.
Attention: not a single built-in flash on any CZK can work normally with shutter speeds shorter than 1 \ 500s. The built-in flash of none of the CZKs has a quick sync mode.
Attention: high-speed sync mode is available on many cameras only in P,A,S,M mode.
An example of a portrait during the day. Flash on the camera with a diffuser card. The flash reduces the volume of the picture, but adds contrast and color.
In order to be able to use a flash with very fast shutter speeds, a fast sync mode, which is called differently for different cameras from different manufacturers. For Nikon it is FP (fast pulse, fast sync), it allows you to use flashes and synchronize them with shutter speeds up to 1/8000s.
To be able to use this mode- need to:
- For the camera to support quick sync mode
- For the flash to support quick sync mode
Not all cameras can use this mode - basically, they include advanced amateur cameras and all full-frame digital SLRs.
Here is the exact one list of Nikon CZKs that support the mode FP:
Flash during the day. Taken with flash in FP mode set to the top left of the model to provide just the right amount of light.
As you can see, the choice Nikon cameras small. Younger cameras do not have this mode, which will not allow you to take photos with a flash and a small . But this is not a problem, since you can use neutral filters for decreasing . Polarizing filters also reduce shutter speed. Usually the flash requirement during the day is very small.
Flash during the day allows you to get a portrait in a high key.
Not all flashes support this mode.- small external flashes SB-300, do not know how to work in this mode. With Nikon's FP mode, they work without problems, SB-5000. These flashes can shoot shutter speeds up to 1/8000. Many third-party flashes also support FP mode, but it is often referred to by a different name, for example, the flash has an HSS mode, which is exactly the same as FP mode.
When photographing during the day with a flash, you need to remember that short and bright lighting requires high energies from the flash. It's funny, but the flash in high-speed sync mode recycles faster than in normal mode, this is due to the unusual pulse delivery system in FP mode.
Portrait by day. The flash sometimes gives extra highlights and itself can give extra shadows.
If you have an advanced camera with a fast sync mode, then most likely there is a built-in flash. This will allow you to use your external flash in remote control mode using the . That is, it will be possible to apply light at the right angle and thereby create an excellent artistic photography. I advise you to experiment with photos with a flash against the sun to understand how effective the flash is in the daytime. For example, in the photo below, the girl is exposed to backlight (strong side) light, if I had not used the flash, I would have got a dark face. Flash is completely different. True, using the flash on the camera can lead to a loss of volume in the photo.
Flash in the afternoon in strong side light sun.
Whether it is worth using flash diffusers, reflective cards - you need to look at the circumstances. As practice shows, sometimes very effective head-on flash in daylight, which is unacceptable when photographing people, such as at night. When using a diffuser, the guide number of the flash is lost, which, even with fast synchronization, is less than usual. With fast synchronization, the flash makes a series of pulses with a huge frequency (about 50 kHz), the human eye does not see this, but this reduces the distance from which the flash can illuminate the subject. You can read how to increase the flash range in the section.
High speed sync. The flash highlighted the subject and added contrast.
Conclusions:
A flash during the day is just as useful as a flash at night, the main thing is to set it up correctly and remember that to get good pictures it would be nice to have a fast flash and camera sync mode.
Help the project. Thank you for your attention. Arkady Shapoval.
It is probably not a secret for any of the photographers that a bright sunny afternoon is far from the best period for taking pictures on the street. But, nevertheless, very often it is not the photographer who dictates the time of any event from which you need to make a photo report. For example, the opening of a monument, a rally, festivities in the square, a wedding, after all. The conditions are bad, but you need to shoot. How to be?
In order to ensure that your pictures do not turn out to be of poor quality, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the basic rules for photographing in bright sunlight. I would like to think that from our article you can get the information you need for this.
The first thing to remember: 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, any building, you will have to wait until the evening. Or wake up early and come to the shooting in the morning. When the sun is low on the horizon, its rays are very effective and beautifully illuminate architectural objects. 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.
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Most often, it seems to us, on a sunny afternoon, it becomes necessary to shoot portraits. Let's talk about this.
So what specific problems can arise when shooting on a sunny afternoon? Let's list them in order.
- Very clear, deep, contrasting and ugly shadows.
- On the face of the person being portrayed, such shadows appear in front of the eyes, under the nose, under the chin, under the ears. These places become like deep holes.
- If the sun's rays fall on the lens, it is quite possible that glare will appear on the image.
- If you shoot in automatic mode, then the sky in the picture turns out to be too bright, and all other objects that are 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 on setting up the camera, while getting normal pictures, than to fill the flash drive with low-quality frames. That is 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 you to set not only almost all models of cameras, but even mobile phones.
On a sunny afternoon, shoot with a hood. It will protect you from sun glare, which can be formed from the bright rays of the sun. Well, if you don’t have a lens 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 of a digital camera. In order to reduce the effect of such rays, many experts advise using special protective ultraviolet filters.
Well, how to get rid of very sharp and deep shadows?
Many photographers, and especially beginners, will find it strange that we advise you to use a flash in bright sunlight. At first glance, it really is absurd - there is already an excess of light, what is the need to highlight a person with a flash? Everything here is quite simple. The flash can very well highlight the deep black shadows on the face of the model, make these shadows softer. But do not forget that the flash output 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 portrayed person will disappear altogether and then it will become ugly and flat, as professionals say, it will turn into a pancake. In the picture we get only a round white spot with dots of eyes and nostrils.
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 picture are sometimes not very beautiful. How to avoid it? Very simple. Ask the subject to close their eyes for a few seconds, and open them just before the shutter is released. You can say something like this to a person: “Now you close your eyes, I will count to three, and you immediately open them.”
With flash, it is good to shoot in backlight. Simply put, the model needs to be turned with its back to the sun and photographed with a flash. In the picture, in this case, you will get a normally lit face and beautifully backlit hair. It is especially good to shoot women with lush hair like this.
And when shooting a portrait on a bright sunny afternoon, you can simply move into the shade. Just keep in mind: the main thing is that the face of the person being photographed is evenly lit. Light in the shade on a sunny afternoon is usually soft and even. Sometimes the shadow from the crowns of trees can be very interesting - the light penetrating through the foliage falls on a person with beautiful spots and highlights. But don't forget. That in some cases, these glare and spots can ruin everything.
We will give you one more very simple advice. Use reflectors. With the help of this simple device, it is very good to direct the light to the place you need, 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 object instead of it, the surface of which can reflect light. For example, a white or light-colored T-shirt, a sheet of paper, or just a newspaper in general. Sometimes a light wall can also work as a reflector.
That, in fact, is the whole simple science of photographing on the street on a bright sunny afternoon!
It would seem that the camera easily captures everything that it “sees”, but this is not at all the case. Capture bright light sources and modern technology quite difficult, and before the advent of antireflection films, this task generally seemed impossible.
The light, repeatedly reflected and refracted, scattered almost to the point of complete disappearance - the desired shots were hopelessly damaged. Modern technologies simplified this task - the loss of light due to reflection from the surface of the lenses was reduced, the effects of glare and reflections were reduced to almost nothing, and some inventive photo artists turned them into real pictorial techniques. Of course, there is something in this - such shots look truly original and unusual.
However, it is still not so easy to get “clean” frames with the solar disk. Not all photographers can achieve beautiful backlit shots - you need to try very hard to capture the sun without flare. But the result is worth it - such photographs turn out to be magical, images of the sun fascinate and attract the attention of viewers. Is it possible to learn how to take pictures with the solar disk? Of course, and we will help you with this!
Rules for shooting the sun
Building a beautiful frame with a luminary is not very easy - as a rule, it is incredibly far from objects that could compose a composition with it. We have to wait until the solar disk approaches the horizon and objects that we also want to capture. And keep in mind that the brightness of the sun does not contribute to its photogenicity. In this regard, the fact that it should decrease somewhat plays into our hands.
Photographing the noon light is almost impossible. 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 is another matter. During these hours, almost anyone can view the sun even without glasses. Please note that in the evening hours it seems softer - this is due to the 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 impromptu filter.
In windy weather, being outside the city, you can do 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 the western winds prevail, the pictures of sunsets are the most colorful. In this scenario, the solar disk will sit in the clouds - shots with clouds painted in sunset rays are incredibly spectacular.
Do you want to experiment? Focus the camera not on the solar disk, but on an object in front of it. So 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 picture will turn out - you can watch how the image changes right in the viewfinder of the DSLR.
Secrets of shooting during the day
If photography is carried out in the daytime, when the solar disk is still high and bright, you can go for some tricks. For example, partially obscure the luminary with foliage or another object.
For lovers of experiments, we suggest using a wide-angle lens, a red filter and petroleum jelly. 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, “draws” its own pattern on the picture. Thin intersecting strokes create the effect of diverging rays, thicker traces of Vaseline will scatter the rays, making them wider and more confident.
Having “caught” the light, experiment with the figures: the rays can be crossed or even brought into the shape of a star.
However, it will not work to surprise a sophisticated viewer with such a technique - such pictures 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 be not only 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's original, because the water breaks the reflected light into many rays, and secondly, it's a little easier, because the reflection is not as bright as the original. Ripples from the wind will give one effect, a stone thrown into the water will give another. If you disturb the water surface right at the place of reflection, the frame will get an interesting relief and effect. Professionals prefer to work in such conditions with short throw lenses with red, orange or polarizing filter- this will make the pictures graphic and clearer.
If in the process of shooting the matte viewfinder still “catches” glare, you will have to go for a trick. Gather all the highlights into one along the optical axis, connect them to the sun - and the frame can be considered saved, of course, after cropping when printing.
flashes
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 illuminated not through the lens, but through the inner surface of the space between the film and the lens when light enters. This happens because the image that the lens projects onto the film is larger than the frame window. The light passing through the lens is reflected from the internal parts and illuminates the film at the time of exposure. Such situations are not visible on the viewfinder, and therefore often come as a surprise even to professionals.
The edges of the image fall into the zone of greatest risk, so when shooting with backlight, 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.
Outcome
Don't forget to take pictures - this can not only save the picture, but also significantly improve it with appropriate processing. It is best to apply for an order for the correction of your frames and the result will definitely please you!
Hello photographers! I'm in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. Where do you prefer to take pictures? Outdoors or where there is only artificial light? Today's lesson will be completely devoted to the street and the specifics of its conditions.
Turning to new external circumstances, it is natural to set other parameters on the camera. To help you get great photos, I will tell you a couple of secrets about what camera settings you need to shoot outdoors.
Street shooting: weather forecast
Without going into all the details natural phenomena, we can talk about two types of weather that we can observe during the day - this is a clear sun and significant cloudiness. It's like two opposites, two extremes that determine the behavior of a photographer: shoot or not, and if you shoot, what settings?
Shooting outdoors is unpredictable. For this, many do not like her, because you need to adapt. Yes, this is not a studio equipped with all kinds of light sources! Here you don’t know exactly what awaits you next, but there are still pluses: you can stumble upon amazing natural light.
In addition, if you do not know how to work with studio light, you don’t have to put anything on the street yourself.
In addition to choosing a plot and embodying a certain idea, whether you are shooting a landscape or people, maybe animals, you need to decide on the settings of photographic equipment. On a sunny day, this is usually:
- the minimum is 100 or lower (if your camera supports it).
- (f) closed, that is, the value is large. This is necessary so as not to damage the optics in the sun and so that the rays do not light up the frame. It is recommended to set f from 10. But to shoot a portrait, such an aperture may not be suitable, because not only the character, but also everything around will fall into the visibility zone. You can achieve a minimum depth of field with a small f and a very fast shutter speed.
- can go up to thousandths of a second. This will again equalize the exposure. If you shoot in aperture priority mode, the shutter speed will be set automatically.
- "sunny day" or 5200-6000 Kelvin. Manual mode has undeniable dignity, but works only in the hands of a knowledgeable person. Feel free to use it if you can accurately assess what color reproduction is in reality and what suits you in the picture.
- Do not photograph against the sun. The object should be well lit and not block sunlight. Only if you do not want to remove the black silhouette. You can shoot against the sun, but only with compensation in the form of a flash.
- It is advisable to take pictures in the shade. When exposed to direct sunlight, such as on the face, hard shadows are formed, and the subject squints in the sun.
- It's time to use filters! For example, neutral grays and polarizers, which reduce the amount of light entering the camera, also remove glare and define the sky. I use polarized all the time if I'm shooting during the day.
What awaits us in cloudy weather? The settings are completely different:
- Shooting preferably in aperture priority mode (A - Nikon, Av - Canon), if you do not shoot dynamic scenes.
- ISO 100 and up. There is less light, which means it's time to increase the sensitivity of the camera. Don't get carried away too much, because in some cameras 800 is the indicator at which there are already signs of image noise. My advice to you, change the ISO last, if you understand that there is not enough light at all!
- Aperture (f) open. Not necessarily the maximum, but a value of 10 and above, which is quite adequate in the sun, is too high here. In practice, I often use f 7.1. Well, here it is also important to know what you want to achieve. If you are shooting a portrait, then the aperture can be opened at 2.8 or 3.5 (if your lens supports it).
- The shutter speed is also short, but not more than 1/200, 1/400. Otherwise, the illumination will be low. Again, if you shoot in aperture priority mode, then you don’t have to worry here, the camera will set itself. The most important thing is that it should not be longer than 1/60 s. (there was no 1/30, 1/15 and so on). At these handheld settings, photos are not clear.
- White balance "cloudy", "shadow" or from 6000 Kelvin.
Any professional photographer should take care of the shooting conditions. In a situation where this is not a room, you need to monitor the weather: protect yourself and your equipment from overheating or precipitation. Caps, glasses, umbrellas, raincoats, etc. will help you.
Photography at different times of the year
In this part of the article we will consider winter and autumn. In my opinion, they can be called, if not the most difficult, then close to this, the circumstances of photography.
Summer is a fertile time when you can play with lighting and use colors as much as possible, study their combination in nature, and clearly see the manifestation of contrasts, etc.
You can easily take expressive and atmospheric shots, for example, emphasize a romantic image at sunset, reflect sadness and quiet sadness in cloudy weather, and when the bright sun is shining, it is easy to show happy moments.
So, what is the difficulty in photographing in the fall? First of all, it is an abundance of colors, especially yellow shades. Here the main rule is to adjust the white balance on the camera accordingly.
Most likely, the auto will not cope here and it is better to use the manual setting. In order for yellowness not to cover the entire frame, this color should be moved in the opposite direction - closer to blue. This harmonizes the colors in the final picture.
The balance is adjusted either directly on the camera, or in post-processing, provided that you shoot in RAW format.
Advice. Preferably, always take pictures in RAW format, this will help you in post-production. I always shoot in RAW+JPEG High Quality. JPEG is convenient to view, while filtering out unnecessary frames, thereby deleting unnecessary RAW.
Another option for working with photos in autumn time is to change the Picture Control (on Nikon) or Picture Style (on Canon).
I do not recommend choosing a saturated one, especially if you are shooting a portrait against the background of yellow trees and foliage. Let it be neutral or standard. Colors can turn out faded, slightly muted, but it's not scary, they can be selectively enhanced in a photo editor.
Now consider photographing in winter. Let's highlight a few important points:
- Snow will surround you everywhere on the street. Remember, it's white! The slightest distortion in color reproduction will make everything gray, yellow, etc. Set the white balance carefully, preferably manually, and avoid areas with “unaesthetic” snowdrifts.
- White snow needs to be diluted with something, that is, to create bright accents: colored houses, multi-colored clothes of the model. The mountains and their snowy peaks look beautiful if you are a fan of the landscape. In winter, illuminated mountain slopes look interesting in black and white.
- Despite the fact that the sun is most active in summer and can create contrasts that are excessive for the camera to perceive, the same effect is possible in winter. The snow surface and ice crystals are a strong reflector of light. As you remember, bright rays are harmful to optics, so set the aperture to a medium value. I can also advise not to shoot in the sun and against it. In principle, this is true at any time of the year - look for less harsh contrasts, otherwise under- or overexposure cannot be avoided.
That's all, my dear readers. These are the basic tips for shooting outdoors. Ideal settings do not exist, everything is configured on the spot. With the very essence, I shared with you and I hope I conveyed to you the main idea, and everything else, only by practicing.
I can also recommend two irreplaceable assistants, these are two excellent courses. First, all the details about digital camera"" or " My first MIRROR' and the second, correct handling taken photos, in the powerful Lightroom editor, "". These courses are a must have for every aspiring photographer!
Digital SLR for beginners 2.0- for adherents of the NIKON SLR camera.
My first MIRROR- for adherents of the CANON SLR camera.
Lightroom is an indispensable tool for the modern photographer.
Goodbye readers! See you soon! Share with your friends and subscribe to updates, and you will be the first to know all the important news!
All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.
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