Embracing Harsh Light: HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH IT

By KAHLI APRIL

Shooting landscapes in bright, midday light isn’t often recommended. In fact, it's usually seen as "bad light" and something to avoid.
However, over the years, I’ve not only embraced harsh daylight but have come to seek it out.

Midday light can present many challenges—high contrast, dynamic range issues, deep shadows, blown-out highlights, and tricky colour balance. Yet, for me, I’ve found these are the exact reasons I enjoy picking up my camera during this light.

So, how can you make harsh light work for you, and what do you need to keep in mind when shooting in these conditions?

Photo by Kahli April

1.expose for highlights

In harsh light, it’s easy to blow out highlights, which are not fun to try and recover in post. Personally, I prefer recovering shadows, so I tend to shoot slightly underexposed, with my histogram leaning toward the left.

2.Seek high contrast

Look for elements in the scene that incorporate both bright and dark areas. This allows you to highlight the drama of the light and focus attention on key features of your composition.

3.PAY ATTENTION TO THE SUN’S POSITION

This may seem obvious, but knowing where the sun is in relation to your subject can help you either eliminate problems or embrace creative opportunities. For example, shooting directly into the sun can allow you to create a sunburst effect, or depending on your lens, you might get a lens flare that you can choose to minimize or use creatively.

Photo by Kahli April

4.USE A POLARIZING FILTER

Use a polarizing filter - Its going to cut glare and help those colours pop even more.

5.BRACKET YOUR EXPOSURE

I often bracket my shots, capturing 1-2 stops brighter and darker than my initial exposure. This is especially useful when it’s hard to judge exposure on the LCD screen, or when dealing with challenging lighting. It also gives you more flexibility in post-processing, either to correct exposure or to blend images for a more balanced final result.

Photo by Kahli April

Watch Out for the Downsides of Harsh Light

While harsh light offers many creative possibilities, there are still some negatives to be aware of, which have given this type of light its bad reputation:

• Haze: Depending on your location, haze can be a challenge.

• Lens Flare: While sometimes desirable, flare can become an issue if it obscures important parts of your composition.

• “Flat” Lighting: Overhead light can cause landscapes to appear flat and two-dimensional.

• Metering Difficulties: Bright light can make it harder for your camera to meter and expose correctly.

• Washed-out Colours: While I’ve mentioned how harsh light can make colours pop, the opposite can also be true if the sun’s position relative to your subject isn't ideal.

However, all these drawbacks can be turned into creative tools in certain situations. Lens flares can add an artistic element to your shot, and haze can introduce mood and atmosphere. Even blown-out highlights can sometimes create an interesting effect.

Kahli April is a landscape, adventure and wedding/engagement photographer based in Canmore, AB.

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