Out and about with your DSLR
Hit the great outdoors this summer with your DSLR to create magical images. From shooting at the beach, in the lush Australian bush to an island paradise and more, we offer tips and ideas to help you create memorable photographic moments.
Shooting outdoors through summer presents as many wonderful opportunities, as it does unique challenges. Understanding light and how to use it as an ally is the key to great summer sun photos. Before shooting outdoors, always take a moment and think about the light.Look at where it falls in relation to the subject and the lens, and how it affects the look of the subject.
Canon EOS 550D Digital SLR Twin IS Lens Kit
When shooting on the beach you are usually in direct sunlight, which can lead to images that have high contrast, blown out highlights, lens flare and colours that might look overly saturated. Another challenge is that your subjects might be squinting when looking directly into the light.
If you follow the basics we’re sharing here, you’ll dramatically improve the quality of your shots, and, we hope, enjoy the process even more!
1. Move into the shade
The simplest solution to beatthe bright sun is to find a little shade. Use an umbrella, have fun with a towel or find a tree as a shady refuge. If your subject is not movable (for example if you’re shooting macro with a flower) create your own shade. Use your own shadow, or the shadow of someone else.Sometimes the simplest solutions are best.
2. Use a reflector
A face half- lit and half shaded, perhaps by a hat, perhaps by the angle they are standing at, creates areas of extreme bright and darkness you need to even out to bring out detail. Consider bringing a reflector with you and use it to illuminate shaded areas of your subject with nice natural light. These are highly portable and can fold up into a small camera bag. In a pinch you can even have someone hold up a white towel to reflect sunlight onto the subject – or even have someone wearing a white shirt stand in a good spot!
3. Use fill in flash
Most people only consider the use of the flash for low light and night time photography; however some of the most important times to use the flash are during bright sunlight to eliminate shadows on the face. A great way to shoot a good portrait image is to shoot with the subjects back to the sun which gives their hair a beautiful glow and stops them from squinting. Then use the flash to ‘pop’ some light onto their faces.
4. Change your perspective
Sometimes the most interesting photos are derived from shooting from an unusual angle. The sun is wonderful for casting shadows, so shooting from above will allow for interesting shadows at certain times of the day. If you move around your subject you will find you can geta great variety of shots from shooting one subject. Have fun with the camera and experiment.
5. Use and lens hood
Harsh light is often responsible for lens flare. This is when the sun has a direct access to the barrel of the lens through the front glass. The effect will be to dampen the contrast of the images and create nasty artefacts on the image.
Use the lens hood that most likely came with the lens, or use something to shield the lens from the sun like your hand or a hat. Just make sure neither end up covering the lens and end up in the image.
6. Filters
Another great option when shooting the harsh sunlight is to use a filter like a Polarising filter or a Neutral Density Filter. The Polarising filter will help cut down on reflections, while both filter types will help reduce the light getting into your camera. Polarizing filters also helps with bringing out stunning colours in the sky and ocean.
7. Pick the time of day to shoot
Many of us don’t have the luxury of sitting around all day long waiting for the perfect light – but if you do, the time of day can dramatically impact your shot. Dawn and Dusk are particularly good times to shoot as the direction and colour of the light is often more useable than the direct overhead light of noon.
8. Shoot silhouettes
If you are looking for another way of using the sunlight to create an interesting image, why not use it to your advantage and make your subject into a silhouette by setting them directly in front of the bright sun.
Source: TechLiving Magazine: Issue 10 – Updated Summer 2011
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