Thanks for checking out this post! These tips are meant for very beginner photographers or for those who would just like to learn how to give their photos a little something extra. In the first part of this series we looked at how to find light inside. This time I’m going to focus on finding the best light outdoors. Look around the location you are at and try to locate what is called “open shade.” What this means is find an area that is completely covered in shade, but still has areas where sunlight is around it. Think of an awning of a house or garage. The awning will create shade under it to a certain point, but takes a couple steps out and you’re in the sun. You want to position your subject in the shade facing the light. This way the light is smooth and even over your subject and will not create harsh shadows. Their eyes and face will be looking into the light creating sparkle and light. And you, the photographer, will be standing directly in the sun. If you are in the shade too, you probably wont get that shine you were hoping to achieve. If you look in the first picture of this little girl, she is completely covered by the shade of many tress(which you cannot see in this photo). The shade from the trees ends about a foot away from her elbows and I am a few feet behind that. Look at how you can notice the light in her eyes. This makes for a gorgeous portrait. In the picture of the teenager below, he is also in open shade. He is standing directly under the awning of a building completely covered by the shade. His feet were positioned right at the border of where the sunlight began, looking into the light. Once again, I am several feet away from him in the direct sun. Take a look at his eyes. They draw you in because the light reflects into them and creates captivating “catch lights.” With all of this said, remember your flash should always be off and for best results you should be shooting in manual. Not sure how to shoot in manual? That’s OK, practice just locating the best lighting situation first and next time I’ll talk about manual settings. Good luck!
