Summer is winding down, but there are still plenty of great photo opportunities in the sun! Don't let the heat get you down and follow our guide below to get the five best tips for taking photos in bright sunlight:
- Composition - Don't let scrunched-up faces get you down! If you have good lighting, just rework your composition. Consider cutting the faces out of the shot, or focusing on the shadows that your subject is making instead.
- Golden Hour - Many photographers use this term to refer to the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. At these two times of day, the shadows are bigger and the light is softer than during the bright midday sun.
- Underexpose - Depending on what camera you are shooting with, learn the settings of your equipment and underexpose the image. This allows the file to store as much information about the color and contrast as possible. Using the lowest ISO possible can also help this process.
- Sunny 16 Rule - When talking about shooting in sunlight, many photographers call to mind the “Sunny 16 rule." This basically states that when your camera is in AV mode, set your aperture to 16 to get the best results in bright, sun-lit situations. If you are in manual mode, set your ISO to 100 and your shutter to 1/100 or 1/125 to start.
- Let the Light In - The best thing about photography is that there are endless ways to experiment! Use your UV filter or lens hood to diffuse the sun, but don't be afraid to take them off and have fun with lens flare!
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