Alysun Peters Photography

I haven't taken any photos for actual customers in the last week and I was feeling the need to post something photography related. I have a custom photography session scheduled next week with 4 little girls. I am really looking forward to it.

In the mean time, here is a picture of Emma and a helpful hint:

We've all been taught to take pictures with the sun BEHIND us. It gives the best illumination of the subject and makes them squint and their eyes water. In the photo above, I broke the rules and took a picture with the sun IN FRONT of me, gasp! I know, very unconventional, but I like to break the rules and I was inspired after reading  PWs blog on this technique. I love how the sun lights up on her hair. 

There are several ways to achieve a picture like this with a bright light behind the subject. One way is to use the flash on your camera. Even your point and shoot camera should have an option to manually turn on the flash even if your camera is saying no way, buddy, it is too bright out here. 

You can also use the auto setting on your camera and let your camera meter the light away from the sun. To achieve this, you need your camera to meter the light on your subjects face if you are functioning in "auto" or you need to manually set your camera to let more light in (so the face is brighter). Try pushing half-down on the picture taking button before you take the picture. The camera focuses and meters the light before actually taking the picture.  To trick your camera, focus your camera and meter the light not into the sun. I could have changed the settings manually on my camera, but I figure that if I explained all that you would stop reading, right about now. I could have done this completely with the auto settings on my point and shoot camera and focused the view finder on Emma's stomach. This takes the glaring sun out of the picture and the light meter read the light there, not the full sun. With the picture taking button half-down, move the camera to her face and take the picture. The beauty of digital photography means you can see if the technique worked and try, try again.

Try this and let me know how it works with your point and shoot. Your camera probably does a lot more than you think.