8.  Avoiding Direct Sunlight.

Outdoor people shots are usually done in bright sunlight, and some people think this is the 
way it has to be.    But better, more flattering photos, can often be taken in shaded areas
or on overcast days.  I prefer a slightly overcast day, the kind with those light, wispy 
clouds, over bright sunlight for most subjects, including buildings and scenics.  In general, 
if you can just barely make out someone's shadow on the ground, that's just about right.  
The light is still a little directional, but those facial shadows are nicely filled in, and 
that helps to create much better people pictures than those taken in harsh, direct, 
sunlight.  See the Melody Wilcox shot in Section 4.

Artists pursue studio space with "north light" because the natural sunlight coming in is
indirect and much softer, while still retaining a directional quality.  We can get similar 
effects by waiting for a little cloud cover or by moving into a shaded area.

Another benefit of indirect sunlight is that it's a lot easier for the people in the picture.  
You've probably seen plenty of pictures where the people are squinting in the bright 
sunlight.  Anything to lessen this will create more pleasing expressions in your 
subjects.  

But be aware of this - shaded areas often are much bluer than the sunlit areas.  With 
slide film, this could be disastrous.  With color negative film though, a good lab will 
correct for it and the photos should show normal coloration.  Most labs now view 
negatives on a color monitor before printing, so any differences in color and intensity 
can be corrected on the spot.  Many cheapie labs just run the whole film through the 
same way, so exposures and colors can vary widely.  With digital, you can do 
adjustments to individual shots either on a computer before you have prints run, or 
you can do any changes on the console at the lab before you run them.

No matter how we try, sometimes we're stuck shooting in bright sunlight.  There are a 
couple simple things that can be done to lighten up those deep shadows.  One is to 
use the flash on the camera as a "fill flash".  It will lighten the shadows, but you can 
still retain the characteristic "sunny" look.  Most of the automatic cameras will provide 
a fill flash for use under these conditions, and manual cameras will also serve the 
purpose. With a manual camera, or one where the flash is added and not built in, you 
will have to figure the lens opening to use so the flash doesn't overpower the sunlight.  
There's nothing worse than a fill flash picture that actually *looks* like a fill flash picture.  
The trick is to have the flash and camera set so the sun is still the main light, and the 
flash is merely to fill in the dark shadows a little.  If the flash is too bright, you get that 
totally wiped out look that makes people look like the pictures on their ID cards and
driver's licenses.  A great advantage of digital over film is that it's easy to see the photo 
right after you've take it.  You can make any needed adjustments right away, and not 
have to wait until the shots come back from the lab.  Remember, photos are two-
dimensional, and anything that helps to create a little depth or relief is beneficial.  
Shadows can accomplish this admirably.

This would be a good spot to quote a famous photographer who once said, "Light?  
Light is nothing!  Now shadow ... there you have something!"

But most of us want some light to take photos by.  The trick is to still have some 
shadows remaining to give the subject a little relief and "life".  But if the shadows are 
too dark, then people often look haggard or older than they should.  So that leaves us 
with, in most cases, lightening up the shadows.

Another way to accomplish this is with a reflector. Have someone hold a white piece 
of poster board, a towel or blanket, a light colored coat, or anything that will reflect 
some light onto the subject.  You usually don't have to worry about modifying
exposures here because the main sunlight is almost always brighter than the 
reflected light.

If there's a light colored wall nearby, especially if it's white, beige, or tan colored, 
have the person stand near it to pick up some bounced sunlight from it on the 
shadow side of the subject.  The configuration of the sun, subject, and wall may 
not always be right, but at least it's free if it works.  The thing to remember here 
is that a reflector will provide light of it's own color.  So using a green reflector
will provide green shadows on a person's face.  Not the greatest, unless the 
person is envious.  Sorry!

But the reflector doesn't always have to be white.   A gold or beige colored fabric 
will provide a nice warm glow to the shadows on a person's face, especially nice 
for women and children.

If you really need a kick with the reflector, crumple up some aluminum foil and 
then drape it over a piece of poster board or something relatively stiff.  The crumpling
 tends to get rid of focused hot spots which can cause very unpleasant looking shiny 
areas on a person's face.   But aluminum foil is bright in direct sunlight, so it may be 
a very uncomfortable fill for people shots.  It's probably better suited for things like
motorcycles, pets, etc.


Back Lighting.

Ideally, you should try to get your subject into a shaded area if bright sunlight persists.
A wooded area is ideal because it also provides a nice setting.  But if it's 
impossible to avoid the sunlight, try another tactic.  Have the subject stand with 
their back to the sun.  This means you will have to shoot into the sunlight, so it's 
a good idea to shade the lens somehow, maybe with your own hand, when you 
take the shot.  But the lighting is usually much more pleasant, and it's easier for 
the subject than facing direct sunlight.  The problem is that the background is 
usually rendered a lot lighter than the subject in this situation.  Sometimes this 
will help to minimize a distracting background, and other times it might look 
terrible. This being the case, it's time for fill flash or a good reflector, which will 
increase the light on the subject, making the background and subject more
evenly lit.

In positioning a reflector, I find it's best located at about the same height as the 
camera, or a tad higher.  A bright reflector located too low will create an effect 
like holding a flashlight under your chin and shining it up into your face.
Not the greatest look for people pix.