Casting Shade: Why Does My Crazy Photographer Lady Always Ask About Shade? -- Goshen County Family and Senior Photographer

When a client calls to set up a session in a location I’m not familiar with, one question I always ask is “is there any shade we can use?”

So why does your photographer lady ask about shade?  It’s not that I’m a wimp when it comes to the sun (actually, I kind of am…but that’s beside the point).  It’s because photographers are obsessed with light.  And shade helps us create the exact kind of light we want on you, our subjects!

Shade helps me:

• Create soft, even, flattering light
• Keeps you from squinting
• Helps me avoid lens flare
• See You to Pose and Direct You

Gorgeous Light

One of my first priorities when it comes to a great photoshoot is even lighting from head to toe.

I want you to be lit with even lighting from the top of your perfectly coiffed head to the bottoms of your feet (gotta show off those new shoes!).  Even lighting is more flattering to most subjects and there are not pockets of light to distract from the main focus…your gorgeous self.

If we’re shooting just after sunrise or just before sunset, the sun is low to the ground and naturally soft.  There is little contrast in the lighting, meaning the transition between light and dark is very gradual and subtle.  It’s less critical in those times (what photographers call the golden hour) to use shade.

But let’s face it, not every single photo session can occur in 45 minutes after sunrise or before sunset.  Sessions with young kids, especially, just don’t work well at 6 a.m. or 8 p.m.

So instead, I use shade to create that soft lighting.  If you invite me to your home, farm, or ranch for a session, you’ll see me walking around looking for open shade to use.  Open shade is anywhere that’s shaded from direct light but still has lots of ambient light.  The best open shade has you looking out toward the open sky because that’s what puts the sparkle in the eyes.

I position you between me and the sun and use shade in the area.  I’ve used trees, buildings, hillsides, vehicles, and even rocks to create shade.  Sometimes, I can use an umbrella or reflector to make shade for a single subject, but the Wyoming wind makes that really hard for families.

Here’s an example of a family session shot mid-morning in Happy Jack Recreation Area.  Sunrise was around 7 a.m. that morning, but we weren’t able to start our session until around 10 a.m.  It was B-R-I-G-H-T.  But I used the trees to filter out the light and create soft even light on my couple.

This LaGrange, Wyoming, family photo session started almost two hours before sundown.  I used open shade in the river bottom to keep the beautiful color and skin tones of this ranching family!

This is another session I shot mid-morning, around 10:30 a.m.  Well after sunrise because no mom should have to deal with a grumpy preschooler and sassy pony at 6 a.m. in the summer.  But because my subject is in the shade looking toward open shy, the end result is total gorgeousness. 

No Squinting

When we’re out in the open sun in the late morning to late afternoon, the sun just isn’t very flattering.  If we face into the sun, we squint.  Even if we face away from the sun, the light bouncing off the ground or objects around us still causes us to squint.  And that’s not flattering to anyone!  In the photos below, you can tell that if I’d let my Southeast senior look right into the sun, Jadyn would be squinting.  I had her look away for a more editorial shot.  For a beautiful portrait showing her eyes (and Sammie in all his splendor!), we used the truck to create shade so there was no squinting!

Avoid Lens Flare

I can create even lighting by simply having you turn your back to the sun and face your shadow.  This makes the light on your face softer and more even and it’s a technique I use a lot when I’m shooting out in the open.  The problem then becomes lens flare.  When direct light enters my lens, it bounces around and off all the elements in my lens and gives me lens flare, or weird gobs of glowing orbs in my photos.  If you’ve ever taken a backlit photo and had weird colored orbs appear in your shot…that’s lens flare!

Lens flare also reduces the contrast in an image, which can make it hard for my camera to focus correctly and wash out your skin tone or clothing colors.  It can also add a haze to the image which mucks up the colors.

Don’t get me wrong…I love a few glowy, dreamy shots and will intentionally create flare and haze for artistic reasons.  But if we’re shooting a family session or a senior session, you don’t want every single image to be hazy.  So I use buildings, trees, and the like to create shade and keep the sun from hitting my lens.  

The two photos below are from the same Torrington, Wyoming, Senior Photography session.  We shot Michaela’s senior photo session at the Cottonwood Country Club.  In the first image, I put Michaela in the shade.  I used a tree to block the sun from hitting my lens directly. The colors are saturated and she’s evenly lit. 

In the second image, I purposefully let more light come in through my lens to create that gauzy, hazy look.  

And sometimes, I just embrace the flare and create something almost magical!  The point is, shade allows me to create many equally beautiful, but very different looks for your photo session!

I Can’t See You

And finally, if I’m looking into the bright sun as the photographer, I can’t see you.  So not only does my camera have a hard time grabbing focus, I can’t see you to know exactly when you’ve found a genuine smile or to make minor adjustments in your posture for the best results.  Shade lets me see everything that’s going on with my subjects so I know when to fire the shutter and capture those perfect moments!

Cast Your Own Shade

Give shade a chance the next time you’re taking some candid pictures of your kids or friends.  Look for a spot where you’ll have even lighting on your subject.  It’s amazing the difference it can make, even for quick family or last-day-of-school photos!