Remember the Polaroid instant camera - an early victim of the digital picture age? Well, now it’s back by popular demand, proving that old technology can sometimes fight back against the march of progress. Many of us, it turns out, miss being able to see images rendered instantly into prints - even those snaps of us looking daft at parties, for which the Polaroid was best known.
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by Whitney Hubbard,
Staff Photographer
Summer is almost here! If you’re like me, you’ll be spending a lot of time outside and using the great weather as a photo opportunity. Working around the full sunlight while taking pictures requires a few tricks and a little forethought to pull off, so I’ve made a list of a few simple tips to help you while you’re shooting outside in the sunny summertime!
1) Location, location, location!
As the sun changes it’s position in the sky over the course of the day, the way light will look in your pictures will also change. Early morning or around sunset are the best times to shoot, because the light is coming from lower in the sky and will often have a soft, warm quality. As a rule, it is best to avoid taking pictures in the noonday sun, because the light is coming from straight overhead and is the least flattering. Also, If you place your subject in front of the sun and shoot towards them, you will end up with lens flare. When you look at your viewfinder or LCD, if you have lens flare you will see like little hazy circles across your image that will ruin a photograph. The best way to avoid this is to move your subject so that the sun is behind or to the side of the camera. A quick way to understand the way the sun will effect your pictures is to take someone outside and walk all the way around them, taking pictures from different angles. The next time you want to photograph outside, you’ll know exactly what to do!
2) Shadows and shade.
The summer sun is strong and will cast lots of shadows, and these shadows can be your best friend or your worst enemy when you shoot. For example, placing your subject under the full shade of a building will even out the light on their skin and eliminate harsh contrast, while having your subject stand under the patchy shade of a tree may cause an unintended blotchy effect. You want to pay attention to where the shadows fall, especially on the face. Take the time to look carefully at your subject before you snap the picture, and pay attention to where you see shadows and bright highlights. Although shadows can cause some undesired effects in your pictures, the strong patterns made by the sun can be fun to play with. Dappled light through the trees or diagonal lines from a fence or railing can create an interesting compositional element. Experimenting with light and shadow may help you develop a more artistic eye, so don’t be afraid to try new things!
3) Light in your eyes.
Perhaps you’ve found the perfect location to shoot with the perfect amount of sun, avoiding lens flare and harsh shadows, and you get your subject in place. But suddenly, they’re complaining that the sun is in their eyes, it’s too bright, and they can’t see! You don’t want to catch them squinting, so what do you do? I deal with this problem on a daily basis, and I have a simple trick to solve it. Just ask your subject to close their eyes, and tell them you will count to three before you take the picture. When you say the number three, tell them to open their eyes and you can snap a shot during that moment before the sun begins to bother them. You’ll get a fresh expression every time, and your subject will be much more comfortable.
The best way to improve your skills at photographing in the sun is just to go out and do it. Get familiar with your camera, take a lot of pictures, and have fun! And take a second look at your camera’s manual. You might find some helpful tips in that little book collecting dust in your camera bag.