Photography Tips

Courtesy Of The New York Institute Of Photography


What's your biggest problem when you take pictures of your favorite kid or adult at the beach? According to the world's largest photography school, New York Institute of Photography (NYI), it's not the he-man who'll kick sand in your face. It's too much sun on your subject's face!

They're not talking about the ozone layer or a bad sun-burn. They're talking about direct sunlight rendering some areas of the face too bright for your film and others too dark. And they're talking about keeping your subject from squinting.

It's easy to solve these problems, according to NYI. First, they suggest, don't follow the old Kodak advice of shooting with the sun behind you over your shoulder. Rather, try to shoot when your subject's face is in the shade. For example, wait for a cloud to blot out the direct sunlight. Or shoot on an overcast day. Don't put your camera away when it's overcast. According to NYI, overcast light is even better for closeup portraits. Or move your subject into a shadow area - for example, under the shadow of an umbrella, a boardwalk, or a lakeside tree. In all these cases, you've eliminated both problems - bright highlights/dark shadows and the squint - by taking the direct sun off your subject's face. The resulting closeup portraits can be stunning.

Second, if you can't find any shade, try turning your subject until he or she doesn't squint any more. Then add light by using your strobe. It may sound crazy to use a strobe because you have too much light, but it works. The light from your strobe fills in the too-dark shadow areas on the face, producing a far better image on the film. You probably have a "fill-flash" setting on your point-and-shoot. NYI says, this is the time to use it.

For additional tips and tricks to help you take better pictures when you travel on vacation, visit the New York Institute of Photography web site at www.nyip.com.