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November 20, 2009 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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Bright mid day sun is very contrasty, thus making it difficult to obtain a good picture. Highlights are very bright and shadows are very dark. Neither film nor digital capture can handle these exposure extremes. If you expose for the highlights, the shadows will go black. If you want to record information in the shadows, you’ll blow out the highlights. So what’s a photographer to do? To create a successful image in mid day sun, you need to compress the contrast range in the scene to one that can be captured. If you’re shooting a grand vista, there aren’t many solutions. But if your subjects are in close proximity to the camera and aren’t very large, there are solutions. Use the following tips and techniques so you’ll be able to take mid day images.
Diffuser:
A diffuser is used to soften harsh light. Placed between the subject and light source, it gives the effect of a bright overcast day where the light evenly wraps around the subject. The contrast range is significantly reduced allowing film or digital sensors to replicate all levels of light in the scene. The size of the subject dictates the necessary size of the diffuser. A 30” collapsible one works fine for flowers and small nature subjects. If you’re photographing people, much larger ones are needed and require the use of an assistant.
 © 2005 Russ Burden
Reflector:
A reflector bounces light into a scene. This opens the shadows thereby narrowing the contrast range. They come in many shapes, sizes and materials. I carry a collapsible one with silver on one side and gold on the other. The silver bounces bright pinpoint light back onto the subject. The gold reflects a similar quality of light but it’s warm in tone. As with a diffuser, the size of the subject dictates the size of the needed reflector.
 © 2005 Russ Burden
Flash:
My most often used method of taming contrast entails the use of flash. In the three pictures of the mom and son that accompany this article, the first shows an example of a poorly thought out mid day image. In the second, I had the subjects turn 180 degrees so the sun would be on their backs allowing them to open their eyes and not squint. It’s an improvement, but still not great. In the last shot, I added flash to the scene balancing its output with the existing light to tone down the highlights. The result is an evenly lit pair of subjects and darkened background.
 © 2005 Russ Burden
To learn more about this topic, join me on one of my Photographic Nature Tours. Visit www.russburdenphotography.com and click on the NATURE TOURS button for more information. Also, pick up a copy of my new book, Amphoto’s Complete Book of Photography. You can purchase a signed copy directly from me or visit your local book store or Amazon. Contact me at rburden@ecentral.com to order your signed copy.
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