That darned sun.

Our son got married last week on a beautiful sunny day at a picturesque setting in northern Vermont. The day was wonderful. Being nearly professional photographers, we decided to take a few photos. Since a “real” wedding photographer was not hired, it made sense for us to give it a go. We have never photographed a wedding (and we never will – but that’s a story for another day), but we do understand a bit about portraiture and the sun. The goal was to get pictures with the beautiful lake in the background. But the sun did not cooperate. We took a few photos and could immediately tell that we had problems: squinty eyes, sun hot spots , and faces in shadow, etc. Here is an example – great subject matter, poor results.

Shadowy faces, gleaming noggin.

Shadowy faces, sun hot spots, squinting eyes.

Then we asked for a location under a tree not twenty feet away. Everyone was now in shade. Here is an example – great subject matter and better results.

Under a tree which produced even illumination giving us better coloring.

Under a tree which produces even illumination giving us better coloring.

Remember, its all about the light!