How can I take flattering group photos outdoors in bright sun?
Asked 7/24/2010
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I need to photograph small groups of about 3–8 people outdoors on a bright sunny day. My main problems are squinting and harsh shadows on faces, especially around the eyes and nose. Shade can be tricky because parts of people’s faces still end up in direct sun. What’s the best way to position the group and use available light? Would on-camera or off-camera flash help?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
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The easiest is if you have the sun behind you, but not exactly behind you, but at an angle. That will give a slight side light to the faces, and they don't have to squint so much because of the sun.
If you use a flash in daylight, it's mostly to push away shadows, so that is useful if you have the sun from the side or behind the subject. The direction isn't very critical as it mostly affects the shadows, so a camera mounted flash works.
If you happen to have a big light wall close by that is in sunlight, you could use that as a giant reflector. Be a bit careful about the color though, something just off-white with a yellow tone would be ideal to match the warm sunlight and counter the slight blueish tone in the shadows.
There is not really the same need to use multiple lights outside as in a studio, you usually have a lot of secondary light bounding around, so not even the shadows are very dark.
Originally by user149. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user149
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For small outdoor groups in bright sun, the simplest solution is to avoid mixed light and reduce contrast on faces.
Best options:
- Put the group in open, even shade if you can, or wait for a cloud to soften the sun.
- If shooting in sun, keep the sun generally behind you but slightly off to one side. This gives softer facial lighting and helps reduce squinting.
- Avoid situations where some faces are partly sunlit and partly shaded.
Flash can help, but mainly as fill light to soften shadows under eyes and noses. In daylight, a single on-camera flash is often enough for this; multiple off-camera flashes usually aren’t necessary for a small group outdoors.
Also look for large sunlit surfaces nearby, like a light-colored wall, which can act as a big reflector and brighten shadows naturally.
If squinting is still a problem, have everyone close their eyes, count to three, have them open, and take the shot immediately before they start squinting again.
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