Look ma, no filter and no post processing!!!
One of the comments I’ve constantly heard from both my online students I teach with the BPSOP, and my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conduct around the planet is to never, never, never shoot into the sun.
One student said that she was always taught to avoid it “at all costs”, while another said that a teacher told her to make sure the sun was at her back. By the way, when you do that, you can’t add depth to ‘Form’ (an elements of visual design).
“OMG”, who says these things????
I love shooting into the sun!!! I’ve read what some photographers say and that is to always use a filter when the sun is low on the horizon. Hogwash!!! I’ve been shooting for coming onto fifty years, and I’ve never had to use a filter to create good photos under those conditions.
In the above photo shot for a campaign for the Range Rover, I intentionally wanted a dirt road that led to the setting sun; the sun being one of the two subjects. I never worried that shooting into the sun could be a bad idea, but then I’ve never put a lot of faith into the “photography powers that be” whose advice is sometines (not always) damaging to the outcome of my photos; that is, if I wanted them to be keepers!!!
By using my Sunpath program and my Morin2000 hand bearing compass I could pinpoint the exact spot (to the one degree) the sun would either rise or set and set out to find a dirt road that the vehicle would drive to…or very close to it.
I’ll tell you this: Make sure you’re shooting in the manual mode and bracket. Also, it would be a really good idea to avoid high noon sun.
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my 2018 workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.
This coming July 29th will be my 30th anniversary teaching at the Maine Media Workshop. I’ve always picked this time as it’s the week of the Lobster Festival down the road in Rockland. This ofers a unique set of photo ops, different from the Maine Coast, fishing villages and lighthouses. The Lobster Festival is all about color, design, light, energy, people watchng and environmental portraits everywhere you look; some people are there in costumes and loved to be photographed.
In conjunction with The Santa Fe Workshops, on October 2nd I’ll be leading a group in San Miguel de Allende. A beautiful oasis and artist colony, and the entire city is a UNESCO site.
Come join me for a week of fun and photography…what could be better?
JoeB
Happy new year, Joe!
Sure you aren’t afraid of shooting into the sun as you aren’t afraid of (well placed) burnt-out highlights!
A question that might sound silly: have you ever heard of damage to the sensor from too much sunlight getting into the camera (and possibly focused by the lens to a single spot)???
Thilo,
As far as I know, direct sunlight won’t damage your sensor. The only way I can think of is if you were to point your sensor at the Sun and use a magnifying glass to direct the light right onto the sensor itself.
OK, so manual mode and bracket, but from where do you take your meter readings? From the sky above or next to the setting sun? Thanks. I am enjoying your blog.
Florian,
I can’t tell you where i take a particular reading because each situation is going to be different. I can tell you that I will read the highlights to make sure there’s some detail in them…unless the brightest part of my photograph is coming from a window or door (then I’ll underexpose that reading). Then, I’ll read for the shadow, or in the case of a subject, I’ll read the face. I like to blow out the highlights when I don’t need detail in them. check out my earlier post on “clipping the highlights”. Otherwise, I never worry about detail in the shadow area. I love shadows…they are your best friend!!!!
I don’t want to take a reading close to the sun because it will be way to bright compared to everything else. Since i shoot 95% of all my photods either very early in the morning or very late in the day, the sun is low on the horizon and I don’t have to worry as much about the sun’s brightness taking over.
I use a separate one degree spot meter (Minolta) so I can be in control of every part of my photo. I’ll read the sky, the ground, the subject separately and then make sure that there’s not more than a stop difference between the readings. That way all the components of my composition are close to the same value (Value refers to the lightness and darkness of a color). If you look at all the images on my website, you’ll see that in most cases, all the colors have the same amount of saturation, and all the exposures are very close to one another.
let me know if this helps.
Joe
You’re welcome!
Anytime you have a question feel free to run it by me.
Joe
thanks, that helps.
Just found your blog. Superb work and advise. Thanks Joe!
Thanks!!!
JoeB