Lots of photographers, and people who teach them, talk about the advantages of shooting under a cloudy sky, or of having the sun’s light behind you. Increasingly, I’m enjoying pointing my camera straight into the sun.
Of course, as above, this can force you into a monochrome presentation (although the dock above is in color). But I remember, during my time in publishing technology and then again in VR, learning about “emissive” as opposed to reflective color. I don’t remember the physics or the engineering, but I like it.
Of course, the color/monochrome continuum isn’t binary. Let’s take three steps into total whiteness overload.
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Anyhow, the sun is my friend. If you take the conventional advice you spend all your time worrying about shape, and subtle shadings, and other grown-up stuff that isn’t rock-&-roll at all.
Comment feed for ongoing:
From: Eric Meyer (Aug 14 2016, at 07:49)
I’m completely in agreement, though I’m still unskilled enough that getting an actual good shot out of sun-facing photography is very hit-or-miss, particularly when I’m trying to capture reflection glare off water or glass or metal roofs. How much Lightrooming do you generally do on you sun-facing shots, Tim? (Particularly that dock shot, which I adore.)
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From: Alan (Aug 15 2016, at 00:30)
It's (unfortunately) been a few decades since I did photography seriously, but I seem to remember that the "sun at your back" rule was primarily for photographing people. Even then, it wasn't a rule to be followed slavishly; I took some shots of female friends with the sun diffused through their hair which proved quite popular.
I also took a lot of neat pictures of various things that were not-people with the sun in the 'wrong' position. Anyway, I think Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean probably said it best: they're more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.
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