Looking for the Light

Do you know the absolute best time of day to photograph? There are two actually. It is called Sweet Light.

The hour before sunset or the hour after sunrise is called Sweet Light. The sun is so low in the horizon that the shadows it creates are long and the light is soft. When you shoot at this time of day, there are many more places you can probably photograph that maybe are not suitable at other times of day when the sun is more direct.

By photographing in the Sweet Light you don’t have to keep your subjects deep under the trees for even shade for nice lighting; you can pull them out into the world.

In this example of the couple and their dogs, the highlight on the man’s face is direct sun. I did not use a translucent shade or have to keep them in full shade. The beauty of that hour before sunset is that the light is soft and not as directional and hard as mid-day.

To have nice light in their faces and catch lights in their eyes, I wanted to be sure that the sky was open in front of them. No trees to block any light, no buildings, just open sky.

Time out a moment, you all have seen catch lights but some of you may be unaware of them or the term we use. Catch light is the reflection in the eye of the light source. This reflection is what gives the eye life and sparkle. I require a catch light in all of my images that the eye is showing.

Pose your subjects so you are shooting into the sun at an angle; be sure to use a lens shade so you don’t have any flare into your lens. Sometimes I also use my hand or a piece of cardboard to further shade my lens if the actual lens shade is not enough.

By having the sun over your subject’s shoulder their faces will be shaded. In my diagram (please pardon my drawing ability) you will see that I am not shooting straight into the sun that would be blinding and totally wipe out the sky and make halos around their heads. I am not shooting with the sun over my shoulder either, that would create flat lighting and that is boring. I am shooting at an angle for a nice lighting ratio and that makes the image more interesting. The purple lines in the diagram show the approximate angle.

(c) 2010 Barb Gordon Photo Coach

Does the exact angle matter? It will change the look of the image as it will change the lighting pattern on the face. Test it out. Set up your subjects and walk around them. Shoot an image at different angles to the sun and see what it looks like and what you like. Sometimes the scene itself restricts the choices you have but teach yourself to take the time to look for the light.

To find Sweet Light in the evening, face west and find nice scenery. In the early morning, if you can get up that early, face east. A Farmer’s Almanac, or a Google search, will help you in determining actual sunrise and sunset times. Then try about an hour from each is a time to start. Practice. Your selected location may look better an hour and a half or two hours difference. Be sure to allow your subjects ample time to arrive, prepare, and get comfortable. You don’t want to miss your limited lighting opportunity!

Photography expert Barb Gordon, Master Photographer, weekly publishes Barb Gordon Photo Coach’s Shooting For Success, a free ezine. If you’re ready to take your photography to the next level, get your FREE reports “Make Photography More than a Hobby” and “15 Ways to Make More Money with your Photography” now at http://www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com