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Varying light
Techniques for dealing with varying light
"Photography is 50% photographer, 40% light, and 10% equipment."
Lighting conditions can be classified according to the dominant type of light: direct, diffuse, or ambient. Each poses its own challenges and has its own opportunities, and demands different approaches from the photographer.
Direct light dominates
One of the most difficult lighting situations is when direct light dominates. The typical example is a clear, sunny day. Shadows are sharp and deep, the scene often has too much dynamic range (difference between the darkest and the brightest areas) to be captured without either blowing out the highlights or losing the shadows, and three-dimensional shapes tend to get flattened into paper cutouts. The main challenge is to deal with the dynamic range, though. Three strategies that can work in direct light include:
Backlight
Put your subject between you and the light, and expose for the shadows. The light will outline the subject, and even if the outline gets blown, it won't matter very much. The ambient light will fill in the shadows, and the outline will give it contrast and liveliness. In addition, if your subject is a person, their expression will be more natural from not squinting at the bright light source.
Reflector
Position your subject near a white or neutral gray object lit by the light source. This will work as a diffuse light, giving three-dimensionality and generally much more pleasant lighting. If you have one, use a movable reflector, such as a big white chunk of styrofoam.
Fill-in flash
Use your camera's flash (built-in or separate) directly on the subject. This will decrease contrast and make for a better tonal balance, although the picture will still look flat and rather two-dimensional.
In addition, black and white negative film is a good choice for sunny days: it has up to fifteen stops of dynamic range, which is enough for almost any lighting situation.
