Friday, November 12, 2010

Kenya 2010: Midday Light



As the saying goes... "If you can't beat 'em,... join 'em!"
You're on the trip of a lifetime, living in the moment... but the light is not your friend. What to do?
It would be all too easy to put the camera down, get discouraged, and lose that photoMoJo. Alternatively, you could throw caution to the wind and turn your bad light into an opportunity to experiment, learn, and get creative. 
Harsh midday sun creates deep shadows, blown highlights, and unflattering colors. These unmanageable conditions make for great stories about the one that got away or the "impossible" conditions of the day. 
Never say die... work that bad light! 
Place your subject between you and the sun, stay low, and shoot for the backlight. Streams of bright sunlight can produce glowing highlights around ears, fur, or leaves. These "high-key" images are often the first to be tossed, but will occasionally make that list of cherished and interesting keepers. Don't fight the deep shadows and black blacks... leverage that lousy light and convert your raw images to black and white. Those trashy shadows now make for an interesting contrast to the bright whites. These shadows are now your friend as they make an average image into an abstract that compels your viewer to study the form and pattern.
Don't put that camera away... use that lousy light, think different, and shoot - shoot - shoot... you just might be pleasantly surprised.
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