Digital Camera World - UK (2019-08)

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SUMMER SCENES

42 DIGITAL CAMERA^ AUGUST 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com


lthough summer days
are lighter for longer, this
doesn’t mean that the
whole day is pefect for
taking pictures. During
the middle of the day, when the sun is
highest in the sky, there’s typically
(in bright sun as opposed to overcast
conditions) a greater contrast between
the foreground and the sky. If you meter
for the land, the sky gets blown out, but
exposing for the sky then leaves the
land too dark. So what’s the solution?

If you want to shoot at midday, you could
try ditching the wide-angle lens, instead
zooming in on the scene with a telephoto
and leaving out the sky completely.
You’ll eliminate the contrast, meter
more effectively, and give the viewer’s
eye something to focus on.
Make sure you know how each of
your camera’s metering modes works.
For example, Evaluative reads an entire
frame, whereas Spot metering mode
only meters a scene off of a specific
area that you choose (the focal point).

A


SUNRISE

1 Morning light
Unless you’re shooting straight into the sun, you should be fine
to rely on Evaluative metering mode. You’ll need to arrive at least
30 minutes before actual sunrise to set up your camera in time,
though. Check the direction of sunrise at your location, scouting
it beforehand for the best compositions. Early morning light tends
to be cooler, so set the white balance manually or use Shade mode.

How to expose summer


scenes through the day


Shoot in challenging lighting situations such as low-angle and midday sun


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Use apps such as The
Photographer’s Ephemeris to
help plan your outdoor shoots
in natural light, especially
landscapes. TPE
show you how the

1 Landscapes

Free download pdf