If you have been following the blogs, these instructions from photographers, you will know that the best time to get the best photos is usually in the morning or afternoon, when the sun is casting shadows, and providing contrast on your subjects and even maybe giving you the “golden hour”. But, now we are approaching the summer time, and sure, you are going to be outside in the middle of the day, and you want to take photos. Great! Noon time is the worst. But, you want to take photos, right? Have no fear, there is hope!! There are some great tips on how to take some good photos at this time of day.
In this 2 part blog, I have a photographer who published an article about how to take photos at noon, and his experiences and expertise. Tomorrow, I will have an article, myself from some other experiences that have really helped me as I have taken photos during the middle of the day.
So, here is the great article by KALYAN KUMAR from PictureCorrect that I thought was really good. Let’s take moment and read through this:
Photography at Noon in Harsh Sunlight:
A sunny day is a perfect day to capture great images. With fair skies and the sun smiling, you have all the time to shoot and capture just about any scene or object you like. Whether you want to take photos of people, landscapes or objects around you, you can do so at your own free will.
Unfortunately when it’s nearing noontime, the heat can become unbearable and the light too harsh. When the sun is at its highest point, shadows can be created on your subjects. As such, you need to utilize some creative techniques that will help you capture clear images despite the bright light.
A priority for you and your camera will be protection from the sun. As you apply sunscreen on your skin, your camera will also need to be protected from overexposure. You can do this by protecting your lens through increasing the shutter speed or decreasing the aperture.
Fill Flash
You may also need to use a fill flash. This will eliminate shadows from your subjects and providing light to the dark spots, particularly if you’re shooting during midday when the sun is on top of you. The flash will be useful if you’re taking a photo of a person wearing a hat or when people are facing away from the sun. Keep in mind, however, that you don’t necessarily have to use a separate flash because your camera’s built-in flash can serve its purpose. You just have to set it to its fill flash mode.
Shade
Find a shady area if you need to shoot during noontime and in an open field. A tree, a bush, or an umbrella will help protect you from the sun’s heat and allow you to capture lovely images including landscapes and wildlife at midday.
Umbrella
Don’t forget that your umbrella, particularly if it’s a white one, can also serve as a light diffuser while you’re shooting outdoors. The idea is to soften the light on your subject and the umbrella can very well do the job. If you don’t have company, you can use your tripod to hold the umbrella even with your camera on it. Just be sure to bring some tape to tie your diffuser to the tripod while you’re shooting.
ISO
Adjusting the ISO of your camera is another trick. When the light is harsh and bright, experts recommend a lower ISO to get great shots and avoid the washed out images. Be mindful of this if you’re using the SLR camera.
Perspective
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and shoot with different angles and backgrounds. This will allow you to capture dramatic images even if there’s bright light. For instance, you can shoot your subjects under shade, or if you’re doing macro, you can shoot subjects with a dark background to achieve a cooler effect on your images without the bright light.
Remember that your eyes and your camera don’t always react the same way when there’s bright light. But know that you can also capture beautiful images even at midday—so don’t stop learning the ropes.
This concludes Part 1 in this series of how to take photos at noon. Please come back tomorrow, as I have a special presentation of some other tips of how you can take photos at noon. See you then.
Other photos taken at noon, that you can learn from:
The reason this photo could have been taken at noon is because there is no shadows ! That is one of the tricks you learn really
fast when you take photos at noon: get out of the sun, and get under the tree, and get rid of the harsh shadows. Look how nice this photo was because, even though it was taken outside, either it was a cloudy day, or it was taken in the shade.
Now this is a creative way to use the sun at high noon, and still get it to look really good. This portrait was of a woman, facing up toward the noon day sun, and it looks like she is enjoying the sun and the light. A well done portrait and a classy way to use the noon sun.
This is one photo that you can tell the sun is right at high noon, because the shadow is cast right under the umbrella. And it’s a perfect way to show the beauty of this umbrella. It just makes you want to go under that umbrella. Everything about this photo is perfect for shooting at noon. Watch your shadows as you shoot at noontime. Maybe they can be to your advantage, or maybe you should wait 4 hours.
