Why Sunny Days Are a Photographer’s Nightmare
We’ve all been there. You want a photo of everyone so you assign someone to take a picture with your phone.
“Where should we take it?”
“Take it here! And face the sun!”
Because intuitively, we want everyone’s face lit well, right? Well, to an extent.
You see, when you take photographs in bright, high noon sun with no cloud coverage, it becomes too bright. It crosses the threshold of becoming harsh lighting. You’ll notice hard shadows and spots that are lost to the brightness. This is especially true under the eyes where you’ll get the dreaded “raccoon effect”.
Harsh shadows and looking like a struggle… not flattering for anyone!
The perfect weather for a day at the beach make for challenging conditions for a photographer. This is why most portrait sessions will either take place in the late afternoon/evening shortly before sunset (a time commonly referred to as golden or magic hour), on an overcast day, or in the shade. This softens the light and is much more flattering.
Evening light is easier to manage and much softer.
Overcast days can be a dream for photographers. It just makes for boring backgrounds!
It was sunny but I strategically used the shade to make sure that the lighting was flattering on the model.
So when you book a session for an engagement shoot, be prepared for when the photographer suggests a time that is close to sunset. Or, if they suggest a time that is during high noon and it’s going to be sunny, and it’s not in a shaded area (like the woods), ask them about why they’re choosing to do the shoot during that time.