What way to face?

[metoo]

When taking pictures outdoors, of my children, what way should I have them face? Or should I say, try to catch them facing. Towards the sun? away? Don't say toward the camera!

[OsmosisStudios]

Depends on the look you want, where the light is coming from, how the light is, etc.

[metoo]

I want to catch the sparkle in the eyes. We are typically out during bad, midday lighting. Not much I can do about that. I shoot as we go. I just got a new camera so at the moment I'm really trying to work on getting the focus on the eyes and getting the eyes to really pop. It isn't going so well.....

[Benji]

Originally Posted by metoo

I want to catch the sparkle in the eyes. We are typically out during bad, midday lighting. Not much I can do about that. I shoot as we go. I just got a new camera so at the moment I'm really trying to work on getting the focus on the eyes and getting the eyes to really pop. It isn't going so well.....

You CANNOT get images that pop, that look good, that you can brag about using raw sunshine as your main light source. Is this true for everyone? We have all seen the TV shots of models that appear to have been photographed outdoors on a sunny day, so what is up with that? You cannot see that the pros have at their disposal a staff of six or eight assistants (or more) to hold light diffusers, gobos, off camera flash units, and so forth. For us pions with ourselves only we do something else, we head for the shade. It is cooler in the shade, the lighting is nice and soft, and the backgrounds may be dark forcing us to look at the subject and not the bright background. We squint in the sunshine but not in the shade.

Benji

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Benji

You CANNOT get images that pop, that look good, that you can brag about using raw sunshine as your main light source.

Oh yeah?

Oranges by ~OsmosisStudios on deviantART

Morgan, Simply. by ~OsmosisStudios on deviantART

Sam by ~OsmosisStudios on deviantART

[Benji]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Oh yeah?

Oranges by ~OsmosisStudios on deviantART

Morgan, Simply. by ~OsmosisStudios on deviantART

Sam by ~OsmosisStudios on deviantART

If these were lit by direct sunshine it is the softest sunshine I have ever seen. Direct sunshine (at least here in Indiana) is a hard light source that leaves deep dark shadows with sharp edges. I shot the below image today in direct sunshine to show you what my definition of direct sunshine is and why it can't be used.

The first two images of yours appear to have been lit by daylight or reflected sunshine but not direct sunshine. The last one was lit by window light. Having been in this business for 28 years I know what a direct sunlit image looks like and it ain't these.

I will amend my original statement to say you cannot use direct sunshine as your main light source between 10AM and 5 PM on cloudless days.

As the old saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or as Dean Collins used to say, beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder.

Benji

[OsmosisStudios]

You didnt say DIRECT, you just said sunshine. Those were all window-lit. The top two were in a booth at a restaurant that was right up against the window (I'd have appreciated a reflector to get more detail in her face), but the last one is indoors by a large bay window.

[metoo]

I know that the lighting is not the best. Particularly this time of year before the leaves pop out. But it doesn't change the fact that my kids like to play outside between 10:00 and 5:00. I would like to catch these moments on film (or hard drive LOL). I was just wondering where i should try to position myself and them. Back to the sun? sideways? If there is shade how should they be positioned under the shade? Sun shining in from behind? In front? I know i can take reasonably good shots in these situations because about one out of 400 comes out that way. I was just trying to up the odds a little.

[tasmo2]

you *can* get good photos during that time, its just extremely hard!!

Taken about 3:30pm in my parents backyard.


Taken same day.




Just play with it! You will get some horrible ones, and you will get some great ones! As long as its your kids and not an actual shoot then you can play as much as you want! If you have to, use your flash to make up for the shadows you get.

[Benji]

As you can see from the images above sunshine will give you hard shadows, bright backgrounds and dark eyes. If none of this stuff bothers you, shoot away, but professional photographers like myself simply could not attempt to sell these kind of images when mom can do it in their back yard for free. (Actually I would never shoot this way, for the above reasons, but mom can!)

Benji