Pixiq

I am often asked how to handle shooting in bright sunlight during the middle of the day.  Twelve noon is probably the worst time of day to take pictures because the sun's angle gives harsh shadows.  When possible, I try not to shoot during this time of day but that's not always an option.  

There are a few ways to handle shooting in bright sunlight.  The first would be to look for open shade that gives you protection from direct sunlight.  If you have the option of having shade you still need to know which direction the sun is coming from and a light meter is essential when working in these conditions to accurately read the light and decide how you want to use the shade.

The second way to work with direct sunlight is to create your own shading by using silks or umbrellas to create shade.  This may sound easy but it takes a few people working with you to pull it off successfully.  There are shading devices available like the Sun Swatter by California Sun Bounce, and large white umbrella's that work in much the same manner but on a windy day it's not that strong and the frames can easily bend by the force of the wind.  These devices are best used when wind is not an option.  I would not suggest this option if you're shooting on the beach or on a windy day.  With a stronger frame this could be a great option but until the frames on the umbrella's and Sun Swatter become better I'd look for other options.

The third way is to use a 12x12 silk or larger with a frame.  To use the 12x12 you will also need to Hi-Boy stands and ton's of sand bags.  It's one of the best ways to create shade on a bright sunny day but again requires strong manpower to set-up and use.  The 12x12 silk is my favorite of all the options and by adding a soft strobe light you can achieve beautiful results.  Many of the locations images from Annie Leibowitz are done in this fashion, but again it takes a large crew and ton's of lighting and grip gear.

The last option is to over-power the sun with strobes lighting.  To do this you must first know the bright sun reading and then make your strobe a stop over that reading.  In the example shown the strobe reading is F22 and the shutter speed is 1/200th of a second.  All images are shot with the Sony A900.  The strobe gear used is the Profoto D1 head on a c-stand with sand bags.

For more information on shooting outside check out "Ten Ways to Use Natural Light"

 Always Dream Big!