How to Improve Your Images of Scenes

How to Improve Your Images of Scenes

by William Lulow

When you are out taking snapshots or recording your travels, you want to try to make them shine a little bit. That is, have an unusual light quality about them. One good way to do this  is to arrange for them to be lit from behind. How do I do this, you might ask. I’ve written about how to do this before. The best way is to find a subject that is basically photogenic and then place the camera so that the sun (or other light source) is behind the subject and the light it produces is basically a “back light.” This will, automatically, give your subject a kind of glow.  One simple way to do this in the Northern Hemisphere is to place your camera on the north side of your subject and keep it in the shade. Most likely, you will automatically get a backlight situation.

An important point to remember when you’re shooting into the sun is that you need to keep your camera’s lens shaded so that you avoid lens flare. (Lens coatings have improved dramatically with digital lenses, but you will still get flare if the sun is allowed to hit it). The easiest way to do this is to make sure you stand in the shade. A fashion photographer I worked for years ago always used to say “shade me” which meant that one of his assistants had to hold a big umbrella over the camera to make sure the lens was in the shade. That’s the best way to get really snappy images in the sun. Here are some examples, all back-lit:

Note the extra bit of interest the back light creates. This is a simple enough thing to execute.

1. Find a subject that is in the sun with the sun behind it
2. Make sure your camera is in the shade
3. Adjust your exposure so that the front of your subject is also lit
4. Add a fill-in light if you need to (could just be a reflector card)

These images were all made outside my studio with a Canon 135mm lens ISO 400, f/11 @ 1/125th of a second. The long lens almost ensures that it will be shaded because it cuts down on the angle of view and allows me to aim the camera at objects in the sun. (Look at the shadow of the tree in the last image. Note how it is cast toward the camera. That’s what to look for to make sure your subject is backlit). All the images have an inherent interest created by the natural lighting. But this is something of which I am acutely aware anytime I go out to photograph something.  As a matter of fact, even if I don’t happen to have my camera with me, I’m still aware of the lighting and what it does to a scene. Even when we are in the car, I often remark “look at the light there!”  Also, note that objects in the sun often have dark backgrounds making them stand out even more.

This last point may necessitate  adding a “fill in” light in order to lighten the shadow areas. It may need you to use a “forced flash” fill-in from the camera position. This just means that you will need to turn the camera’s built-in flash on manually. (In AUTO mode, it will usually come on if there isn’t enough light on the scene, but in the sun, that won’t happen). Or, you may need to lighten the exposure sufficiently to record shadow detail. This may require you to think a little bit and take your camera off its “auto” mode and shoot manually. Many times your camera’s built-in flash is enough to provide a “flash fill) to lighten the front of your subject a bit. You can even do this with your iPhone. Many people forget to turn on the flash. However, your iPhone might delay the flash firing a bit until it acquires focus on your subject. So I always tell my subjects to hold still until the flash goes off.

This image was made on the street in New York City with an assistant holding a black umbrella to shade the camera. I also had a flash fill-in light to lighten up the details. Note the direction of the shadows. That’s how you can tell it was back lit. What we are actually doing here is to make the sun act as a highlight while the flash is filling in shadow detail.

Fill-in lighting is important in these shots, so make sure you know how to make your flash work even on a sunny day.