Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Photography and portraiture - How to take portrait photography in the sun?

How to take portrait photography in the sun?

First, avoid silhouette.

Contour-although interesting, it is not the only purpose of shooting in the sun. In order to make full use of this situation, it is worth trying to stay away from them and focus on exposing the skin color of the subject. When shooting the outline, the camera will automatically adjust the exposure to the background or the whole picture instead of the main body, resulting in a lot of sunshine and sky, and the outline is dark instead of the face.

To avoid contour, the exposure metering mode should be changed to? Spots? That is, spot metering. Spot metering means that the camera will not adjust the exposure on the whole screen, but only on the main body in the center. The whole background in the picture may be completely overexposed, but it won't bother you. This is part of the effect of shooting in the sun, because it brings some brightness to the picture.

Another good way to avoid contours is to use an external flash. In fact, it is one of the most suitable situations to use. Setting the flash a few meters away and turning it on at an appropriate time will help to create a more natural effect while maintaining the natural shadow of the subject's face.

Second, focus setting.

When shooting in the sun, it is not always possible to focus on the subject. Even if manual mode is selected, the camera will keep trying to refocus. In this case, it is recommended to use the focus lock function. Please aim the camera at the desired object before taking a picture, then block the sunlight on the object, focus, and then press the shutter button half-way. Press and hold the button at this position to change the composition and the position of the camera itself, and the focal length remains the same. Be extra careful when shooting with a large aperture, because the depth of field will be shallow and any slight movement will make the focus out of focus.

Third, choose the place and time.

It all depends on the time of year and its relationship with shooting: spring or autumn. Always trying to find an interesting and different place. I took a series of photos when the flowers were in bloom, and the whole field was bright yellow, which added a lot of color to all the photos. The shooting time should be very careful. The ideal time is at sunset and sunrise, when the sun is at a certain height above the subject's head. It is at this time that you really have a chance to get the best shooting time.