When I’m working with my clients outdoors, I always keep an eye out for a good patch of shade. A shady spot is always preferable to shooting in full sun. Think about how people look when you take their photos in a really sunny spot- they will most probably be squinting, their skin will end up looking really over-exposed and they will have nasty shadows under their eyes & nose. Not quite the look you are going for, huh?⠀ ⠀ You may struggle at first to find good, open shade but if you start to keep an eye out when you are on the move, you can find perfect patches of shade from trees, buildings, hills, a fleeting cloud if you’re lucky, the side of a cliff casting a shadow on a beach, or even a person (depending on size of subject; i’ll often ask a parent to stand over their child until they have created a full patch of shade over their child.) Or you might find that the side of the barn is giving just the perfect amount of shade for your new piggy friend.⠀ ⠀
If you’re taking a photo of a person in direct sunlight and it’s just looking horrible you can try this:⠀ ⠀ 📷Keep your subject still and move yourself; ⠀ 📷Take photos from all the different angles and see if any that you shoot seem to make a difference to how your image looks. ⠀ 📷Then, if there is any level of cooperation and patience from your subject – get them to move. ⠀ 📷See how they look with the light hitting them from the side.⠀ 📷Then try having the light come from behind them (commonly known as ‘backlighting’). Backlit is often way better than having them squinting into the sun. It can cause hazy, less sharp images but you’ve got to work with what you have. ⠀ ⠀ Remember that you can try this method on yourself when you’re taking a selfie. Also remember to go back to your images afterwards and see which composition was the most ideal from all the ones you tried out. ⠀ ⠀