My children are adorable, aren’t they? And this photo, well it’s a memento of a great weekend spent with friends and family camping at Hot Springs National Park this past summer – sleeping under the stars with a cool breeze, exploring the creek and its slippery rocks and bonding as a family.
There are wonderful memories attached to this photo, but it isn’t a very good one. The exposure is all wrong.
The sun is behind them so they are not being blinded, but the shadows are too heavy and the highlights too bright. Fixing these mistakes in Photoshop produces a grainy, low contrast image that is poor in quality. It’s quite the disappointment, one I could have avoided if I’d taken a few more second and changed my settings.
Best times to take photos
Often we think of sunny days as optimal when taking photos outdoors, but high noon on a bright day is probably the worst time to take photos in terms of lighting and dodging shadows and squinty eyes. Just say no to the squinty eyes.
A good rule of thumb is to take your photos when your shadow is longer than you are tall.
The best time to take outdoor photos on a sunny day is when the sun is not directly overhead. Depending on what you’re photographing, early morning or late afternoon is best. When your subjects can be moved – people, for instance – either option is good.
Also, shady spots are our friends. The above photo was shot in the shade of a row of evergreens, which blocked the early morning sun (it was 9:30 a.m.). We didn’t use a reflector, fill flash or any other source of light (I’m big on natural lighting).
When your subjects cannot be moved – when you’re photographing a building, a tree – if you want to be able to see it, take the photo when the subject is not being backlit by the sun.
Overcast days would be the exception to the rule, however. (There’s always an exception, right?) Clouds are also our friends because they naturally diffuse sunlight. These types of days are great for close-up portraits in addition to photos of flowers and insects and any photo that doesn’t include the sky in the shot.
On heavily overcast days, you may also need to compensate for exposure values.
Check back for more quick tips on exposure! Later this week I’ll be posting more on exposure on sunny days. Other quick tips can be found here.
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