If you’re a wedding photographer you have probably dripped some sweat on a wedding day when all the time you had to photograph the bride & groom portraits was in the middle of the day, when the sun was still super harsh and high in the sky.
Or picture this: you started an engagement session a bit too early and can’t figure out why your images are not looking good when you gaze at the preview screen in the back of your camera.
If these scenarios are a reality in your life, I want to help you get back in the driver’s seat and confidently take control of your sessions and wedding portrait time by showing up ready to create beautiful images at any time of the day.
Here’s the #1 thing you can do right away to start creating better images when shooting in harsh light:
Look for open shade!!!
That’s it… bye… see you later!
Just kidding, I got ya! Let me explain what that means…
Open shade is any shaded area you can place your couples in, and when they look up, they see nothing but the sky. That means you need to find a shaded area without any trees or overhang above your client’s heads and place them there.
But, I would go even further… When looking for open shade, find a place where you can place your subject in the shade, with nothing above their heads AAAND nothing in front of them (unless it’s a natural reflector, which we can talk about some other day!)
The goal is to place your couple in a shaded area to help you with exposing their faces well, while allowing enough light to hit their faces, without creating unflattering shadows under their eyes and chin… and without capturing nasty color casts in your final images.
Want to see a live demo of what I’m talking about?
Watch me explaining the 3 things you should look for when selecting the best open shade area.
Ready for more? You’ll love my step-by-step guide: Shooting in Harsh Light: How to Successfully Create Beautiful Portraits at any Time of Day.
I created this step-by-step guide for photographers who want to:
– Learn and improve their images when they have to shoot in harsh light scenarios
– Keep consistency in their work no matter what time of the day they are shooting
– Increase their confidence by knowing what to do and how to troubleshoot when shooting outdoors
The best past? I created this guide for the busy photographer who wants to learn how to shoot in harsh light in less than one week.
Ready to gain confidence back and shoot mid-day with no problems? Grab your guide now!
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