Photography tutorial: Fun in the sun photography tips
By Shelton Muller
Shelton Muller helps us make the most of our summer photo opportunities with these handy hints.
Summer is the most popular time for photography. The sun’s out, the weather’s great and there are holidays and good times to be had. But summer is also a notoriously difficult time for taking pictures. The light’s overly bright, the beach is a battlefield and the heat can play havoc with your gear.
Protecting your camera
If you’re on the beach, be careful of sand and salt air. Ensure that your camera is kept in its case, unless it’s designed for all weather use. Digital cameras are susceptible to heat, sand and salt, so be careful how and where you take pictures. Buy a quality camera case to protect your camera, if you don’t already have one.
Working with light
Beaches, rivers, creeks and pools are the places to be in summer, and there are photos for the taking. If possible, avoid taking your important photographs during the middle of the day. If possible, wait until the light’s softer, the sun goes behind a cloud or heads toward the horizon, especially if you’re planning to take people portraits.
The midday sun is hard and direct, making for difficult lighting situations that can be very uncomplimentary, producing hard shadows under hats and chins, and that “panda bear” appearance of dark shadows in the eyes. If you must take photographs during this time of day, switch your flash on to fill the shadows a little.
For the same reasons, avoid taking scenery photographs during the brighter part of the day. On bright, cloudless days, most scenes will have too much contrast in them for any real detail to be apparent. In addition, skies contain ultraviolet haze, so distant subjects and wide vistas appear grainy, with little colour or contrast. Come back before sunset, or as the sun rises, when the light is softer and the air clear.
Exploding a myth
One common myth is that the sun should be behind the photographer, especially when taking pictures of people. Not so, particularly if you take our advice and wait until the light’s softer. At these moments, you can use the sun to light from the side, or even from behind if you use a little fill flash. The problem with having the sun behind you is that your subjects will be suffering under the strain of having the sun in their eyes, resulting in facial expressions that are not particularly flattering!
Adjusting your camera
The bright light of summer can also be a problem for your camera’s exposure system. Bright surfaces reflect light and can fool light meters in automatic cameras, often resulting in underexposed pictures. Most automatic cameras have an exposure compensation feature that can be set to accomplish a similar result.
If you’re using a digital camera, check that your highlight areas (the bright areas) in your picture are not “burned out” or, conversely, that the shadows aren’t too dark. Again, use some fill flash to balance things out if you’re not too far from your subject.
This summer, make it your aim to take more pictures and be more courageous about it. Always – always – have your camera handy. Be ready for those moments that make summer a great time for pictures. When they happen, get up from your folding chair and get in close. Think before taking each picture and consider its content. Remove unwanted elements by zooming in or taking a few steps closer. Vary your framing between horizontal for landscapes and group photos and vertical for people pictures.
Following these few simple suggestions will make a big difference to the quality of your summer snaps.
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