7 Techniques for Shooting in Bright Summer Light
Midday summer sun is often avoided by photographers due to harsh shadows and blown highlights, but this guide from Quartz presents seven techniques to work with or creatively use this light. The techniques include positioning subjects in open shade, backlighting with exposure compensation, using polarizing filters, adjusting white balance for blue casts, underexposing to preserve highlights, using harsh shadows as compositional elements, and shooting through translucent materials for diffusion. Each technique is explained with specific problems addressed and practical applications, emphasizing that with the right adjustments, harsh light can become a creative tool rather than an obstacle.
Key facts
- Midday summer sun produces harsh shadows and blown highlights.
- Open shade provides soft, even light for portraits.
- Backlighting requires exposure compensation or spot metering on the subject's face.
- Polarizing filters reduce glare and enhance sky saturation.
- White balance adjustments correct blue casts in midday light.
- Underexposing by half to a full stop protects highlights, with shadows recovered in post-processing.
- Harsh shadows can be used as deliberate compositional elements.
- Translucent materials like diffusion panels soften direct sunlight.
Entities
Institutions
- Quartz
Sources
- Quartz —