Working In Brutal Light
One of the first things we learn about photography is to NOT take photos during the harsh mid-day light. However there are times when we simply can't avoid it.
The word "photography" comes from the Greek (phos) "light" + (graphis) "stylus", together meaning "drawing with light." Sometimes however too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and we all quickly learn that mid-day light is about as harsh as it gets which results in less then desirable images.
Mid-day light causes much grief for many since we deal with deep shadows, blown highlights and strong contrasts. The colors are also less then ideal since they are washed out and much less inviting then we see in the early morning and late afternoon which is the prime time to take photographs. However, sometimes we must work in these harsh conditions and the key is to embrace it and to look for alternative opportunities.
I had a recent gig where I needed to photograph the management of a local software company in Clearwater, Florida. Anyone who has ever been to Florida knows that the light during the mid-day is brutally harsh. But since my only window of opportunity to complete the project was literally at high noon, I had to roll with the punches if you will.
One of the saving graces is that I brought my assistant Amy who I was able to use to scout locations, backgrounds and light an hour before the photo shoot was scheduled. We tried several locations and scenes, but the one thing I needed to find was an area that not only had interest, but also was in open shade.
My assistant Amy posing for scene scouting/testing for a corporate photo shoot. Notice how we are in an area that was in open shade that provided a nice, evenly exposed composition. You would never know that I shot this at noon in bright sunshine.
My assignment was I had to photograph 15 people, in two different locations in less then 20 minutes. I had no time to "figure it out" on the fly, so I had to carefully get my settings, locations and compositions beforehand. We found two settings that provided just what I was looking for.
For the wide or full body shot, we found an area by the pool that had a rock formation that was a waterfall. There was a path that lead behind the waterfall that provided just the right light and interest needed. Using my 24-70mm lens, I framed my test shots and dialed in my exposure and made notes of the settings.
The head shots was going to be tricky since this was all about the background. Since head shots are all about filling the frame, the background becomes a dominate focal point in the composition. In the back of the hotel that is all glass and under a large overhang I noticed that the tint on the windows made the sky and palm trees a deep blue and green just like when we use a circular polarizer.
After finding the "sweet spot" to stand and to avoid any distracting elements in the reflection in the window such as interior lights and objects, this location proved just the killer background that was needed to bring out the subjects against the deep blue.
Using my 70-200mm lens gave me the tack sharp subject and the very out of focus refection in the windows I was looking for especially since my subjects were far away from the window to ensure that the background would be thrown out of focus.
All in all it wasn't the ideal situation to work in, but knowing a few secrets of keeping your exposures under control by seeking alternative locations using open shade is the difference between success and frustration.
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Robert La Follette
www.robertlafollette.com
