Following Shade

In a recent discover as always (lol), I've learned a broad daylight shooting technique. Yep, shooting in midday sun has always been a problem. Photographers (myself included) tend to look for shade for "good lighting." Now I know it's probably nothing new under the sun, but for those that don't know follow along. It's as simple as placing your subject in the sun, so they're backlit and shooting the shot from the direction in which their shadow falls. Sounds pretty basic right, it is. This will provide a back light for your client, model, senior or whoever you're shooting that will separate them from the background. They are two key points to pay attention to: the first is to use a reflector or a small pop of flash to add throw more light on the the front of the face, the second is make sure you don't blow out the highlights that the sun provides. It's basically a two light set up!

  This technique has allowed me to roam free, without being confined to shade. In most cases shade can be a useful and great friend for photographers. If you don't always want to find shade or can't find shade, this is a simple technique that will help you out. It has helped me and maybe it can help you avoid following shade.....lata on!

Kick and adjust

I've been working with a one light set up for quite some time now, but a little extra light and movement can go a long way when shooting. Once the main light was set I used a kicker light (camera left) with a green gel on it to add a little flare. I started shooting in front of the model, although the shots were good, simply moving 4 steps to the left made for a better shot. I've learned that once you get the model in the pose you want, you should do the moving. Different angles create different looks, so just kick and adjust.