Photographing in Harsh + Bright Natural Light

Shooting in the bright, midday sun is one of the hardest things to tackle as a photographer. Sure you can use flash, reflectors, and/or a litany of other things to compensate for the harsh light, but when I shoot engagement photos in public places, it's important for me not to draw attention to myself or my clients. Busy public spaces require a photography permit (which comes at a price) or simply not allowed, so I prefer to blend in.

However, blending in is hard when you have to work against the light. Such was the case for a shooting demo I led while in Downtown Sacramento (you can read more about my trip up the coast in a bus HERE), as I had to shoot at noon on a blazing fall afternoon. So here's the specs: 12pm, 90-degrees, open park, and a happy couple.

Whenever I find myself in this situation, I always find natural reflectors (THIS post is a great place to read more about what I'm referring to…as well as all these posts too!), but what I failed to do in previous posts is show where I was standing in relation to my clients. With many thanks to the photographers who showed up for the shoot, they caught me in action, thus producing a complete perspective of how I captured what I did.

Here's an example of the type of light I shy away from…

Sure, it's shaded, but the light is muddled and the sunlight behind me is distracting. Instead, I'll place my clients in a shaded area, but very close to my natural reflector to harness the natural illumination. Like so…
(in case you're wondering, I don't use a lens hood, but instead use my hand to block the sun)

And here's a photo I produced in this type of light…
50mm f/1.2 1/2500 ISO 250

As an added challenge, I asked my clients to stand in full-sun, no shade to further show how to leverage natural reflectors and harness harsh light. Please note that in the photo below, the ground in front of them is illuminating them, but that large white building also helps a bit too!

Here's a couple photos of what I produced in this type of light.
50mm f/2.0 1/1250 ISO 125

50mm f/2.0 1/1000 ISO 125

I hope this helps and if you'd like more photo tips and tricks sent to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my NEWSLETTER!