How to Shoot in Direct Sunlight: A Beginner Photographer's Guide to Harsh Light
Harsh Sunlight- Every photographers’ worst nightmare.
And yet one of the biggest questions I get asked as a photographer is, “how do I shoot in it?!!”
Being so forreal, I've started falling in love with harsh light and the vibe it can create...
So let’s deep dive 🤩
Sections:
FIRST: What is harsh sunlight?!?!
Harsh sunlight is strong, direct light coming straight from the sun. You'll usually notice it most around midday, when the sun is high in the sky. It usually creates more shadows than soft or diffused light.
Think about how different the light looks throughout the day. Early morning might have soft, gentle light. Around midday, everything can suddenly look bright, white, and contrasty. Then, as the sun gets lower in the evening, the light becomes softer, warmer, and more golden.
Ever wondered why photographers love shooting early in the morning or in the evening?
GOLDEN HOUR. ✨
Golden hour is that small window of time when the sun is low in the sky, creating softer, warmer, more golden light. It's one of my favorite times to photograph people because the light naturally does a lot of the work for you.
But what happens when you don't have the luxury of waiting for golden hour?
Let's talk about it.
Why do photographers avoid harsh sunlight???
If you're newer to photography, you may have heard photographers say, "Avoid midday sun!" There is a reason for that.
Here are a few of the biggest challenges that come with direct, harsh sunlight:
Creates deep shadows
You may notice those dreaded "raccoon eyes," where the eye sockets become dark because the sun is directly overhead. Harsh light can also emphasize wrinkles, blemishes, and skin texture. Generally, that's the opposite of what we're trying to create in a flattering portrait.
Your subjects might be uncomfortable
Have you ever tried looking directly into the sun? It's painful. Your subjects may be squinting, sweating, or struggling to keep their eyes open. And if you're photographing a family, senior, or wedding party, asking them to stare into the sun for an entire session probably isn't going to make you their favorite photographer.....
Creates a LOT of contrast
Direct sunlight can create a really bright highlight next to a really dark shadow. That strong difference between light and shadow can make skin tones look uneven and can make it much harder to preserve detail in your highlights.
Introduces unwanted color casts (unwanted tint of a color in your image)
Intense sunlight also makes the colors around your subject more noticeable. Bright green grass, trees, colorful buildings, or even a brightly colored shirt can bounce colored light back onto your subject's skin.
As you can see… harsh sunlight can be ROUGH to work with….
AND YET
I don't want you to walk away thinking direct sunlight is something you should always fear!!!!!!!
Sometimes you simply can't avoid it. Maybe you're photographing a wedding and the ceremony is scheduled for 3:00 PM with absolutely no shade. Maybe you're shooting at the beach and there isn't a single tree in sight. Maybe your senior only has one afternoon available.....
There is incredible creative opportunity in harsh light. Once you learn how to control it and, eventually, how to intentionally use it, the sky is the limit with what you can create.
So I want to share some of my favorite tips and tricks for shooting in harsh sunlight.
How to Work with Harsh Sunlight
First of all, yes- I would generally recommend (especially for beginners) avoiding harsh sunlight altogether. Refer to the reasons above as to why;)
But sometimes you can't avoid it. And when you can't, you have options.
Here are a couple ways you can avoid the sun directly hitting your subject during mid-day:
Shoot with the sun 45 degrees behind your subject
Instead of allowing the harsh sun to hit your subject directly in the face, place the sun behind them. You can then have your subject turn slightly, around 45 degrees, depending on the look you're going for. This creates beautiful backlighting while keeping the harshest light off their face. Refer to my natural light post for more on this.
PRO TIP: I love having my senior girls use their hair to frame their face. This can help prevent random little spots of direct sunlight, also called hotspots, from hitting their skin.
Find Open Shade
Open shade is your best friend when it comes to shooting in harsh sunlight. Open shade is a shady spot with direct sunlight right outside of it, like in the photo to the right. Usually found by a building, under a tree, or inside a doorway:)
The goal is to get your subject out of the direct sunlight while keeping them facing the open, bright part of the sky. This gives you soft, even light that plays beautifully with most presets and flatters pretty much every skin tone.
Again, refer to my lighting post for more ideas and inspiration on how to utilize this kind of light!
Use a Diffuser
A diffuser is a piece of translucent material that you place between your subject and the sun. It scatters and softens the light, making that intense sunlight much more manageable. (like creating your own little patch of shade.)
I LOVE this all-in-one reflector that has a diffuser built right into it because you can use it to both soften the light and bounce light back onto your subject.
If you're photographing solo, though, remember that a diffuser is one more thing you have to hold or position. For weddings especially, open shade or changing your subject's position is often going to be much more practical.
Shoot Later in the Day
If you want to avoid the harsh light from midday, simply shoot later in the evening! If it’s controllable (a family, senior, couples session, ect) I highly recommend planning the session 1-2 hours before sunset! It’s my favorite time of day with buttery, glowy, warm light that just makes the whole world beautiful!
Embracing Direct Sunlight
Now, if you’re here to learn how to EMBRACE the light… look no further!
(Or maybe you absolutely cannot avoid midday sun. There are no trees, no buildings, no shade, and no alternative time.)
Here’s how to work with what you’ve got!
1.) USE AN ND FILTER!
A Neutral Density Filter is the BEST! It's like sunglasses for your lens- reducing the light hitting your camera sensor, allowing for slower shutter speeds and smaller apertures at midday.
It’s a GAME CHANGER fr.
Without an ND filter, you may run into a situation where your shutter speed can't go any faster and your aperture can't open as wide as you'd like without overexposing your image.
There are different filter sizes depending on the diameter of your lens. Here are links to the
Not sure what size you need?
Look at the front of your lens for the Ø symbol followed by a number.
EX: Ø67 = 67mm filter
That's the size ND filter you'll want for that lens.
2.) Underexpose your Image!
When you're working in extremely bright conditions, it’s better to slightly underexpose your image than blow out all of your highlights.
(Once you've completely lost detail in a bright white area, there's only so much you can recover in Lightroom.)
Start with a low ISO, a fast shutter speed, and a smaller aperture (higher f-number) if necessary. If you have an ND filter, you can generally keep your aperture wider and get that beautiful depth of field you're used to shooting with.
Here are the settings from a few direct sunlight photos I've taken:
WITH ND FILTER:
WITHOUT ND FILTER:
Also, remember!!!! Don't get so caught up in copying someone else's settings that you forget to watch your own light!!
Your settings will change depending on your camera, lens, ISO, ND filter strength, time of day, and how bright the environment is:))
3.) Use the Sun as your Key Light
A key light is simply the main light source illuminating your subject. In a studio, that might be a large softbox. Outside, it's the sun.
The trick is to move your subject until the sunlight hits their face in a way that creates the type of shadows you want.
I generally like to have my subject facing the sun. If the sun is high, this can create raccoon shadows under the eyes, so be careful of this. You won’t have as much of a problem if the sun is lower in the sky.
Be sensitive to the harsh light hitting your subjects’ eyes. I usually have them close their eyes and open them when needed. Especially for guys, I don’t mind the harsh shadows that come across the face .. I actually like the dimension and depth that it creates.
See my “vision” section below. ;)
Also, If the sunlight is creating beautiful dimension but the shadows are a little too dark, you can use a reflector. A reflector bounces light back onto your subject, helping fill in the shadows. I like to use the white side. (This is especially helpful when you're using the sun as your key light. And if you're working alone, don't feel like you need a giant professional setup, even just a white sheet or sometimes a white t-shirt will do! )
Bonus Section!
When to shoot in direct sunlight??
One of my goals always as a photographer is to be more intentional about the way I shoot.
What does that mean?
Having a VISION, and learning what it means to execute that vision in a way that makes sense. For example…
Let's say you have a couple who wants dreamy, romantic engagement photos.
You're probably going to choose a time of day when the light is soft and warm, like golden hour. But you probably won't stop there……. You'll choose a location that feels romantic and warm. Maybe cherry blossoms. A golden wheat field with tall, soft wheat.
You'll think about the outfits, too. I'm picturing the girl in a flowy, creamy strapless dress, maybe with a floral pattern. Curls in her hair. The guy in a simple, casual unbuttoned flannel, Oxford shoes, and jeans. And it doesn't stop there.
Props? Ooooh, baby’s breath. Definitely baby’s breath. A cute little vintage bike? The ideas are endless. See how everything comes together? Every little detail is intentionally curated to tell the same story.
It starts with a vision and some inspiration. And Pinterest is AMAZING for this. There are so many content creators and photographers who have contributed their photos to help us streamline our ideas and figure out what we like.
And it doesn't have to be perfect. Even having a general vision and 1–3 ideas for how you're going to execute it can make a huge difference.
Honestly, I find that some of the most MAGICAL photos are unplanned anyway. So this same idea applies when you're shooting in direct sunlight.
Don't just ask yourself:
"How do I make this light look good?"
Ask:
"What do I WANT this photo to feel like?"
Then use the light to help you create that feeling.
Let me give you an example of how I used direct sunlight to achieve a vision.
Macie wanted some tennis photos for her senior photos.
I love the idea of direct sunlight for sports photography- I think it brings more of an intense, direct, and sharp feel to the photos. I love the contrast it creates to tell a more dramatic story.
So I had Macie face the light and try different poses at the tennis court for these photos.
Here, direct sunlight supported the vision I had for the images.
It wasn't a problem I needed to fix. It was part of the story I was trying to tell;)
And THAT is the difference between simply taking a photo and intentionally creating one!!!
Direct sunlight can feel intimidating at first, but the more you practice, the more you'll learn to see the possibilities instead of just the problems.
Don't be afraid to experiment, move your subject around, change your angle, and let the light do something unexpected. You don't have to master it overnight.
Just keep practicing, keep paying attention, and most importantly, have fun creating! 🤍
Thank you SO much for reading this far!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!
If you liked this content and want more freebies, tips, advice, content- please sign up for my email list!
Almost all of these photos were edited with my whimsical preset pack which has a "direct sunlight" preset! If you like my photos and want to achieve a similar style with yours, take a look at my presets!
If you want to get personalized, one on one coaching for your business, sign up for a mentorship with me!
Thank you all SOOOOOOO much for your time, trust, and love!!
LOVE YOU ALL!!
<3 Malia
Comments