I remember when I first started out in photography I had my little Kodak Instamatic camera and the instruction book it came with. There used to be diagrams that would show you how to place a subject in relationship to the sun. It always showed the person with the camera having the sun at their backs and the subject was bathed in its rays. I look back on them now and laugh!

If you follow that method you will definitely keep photographers like me employed because your subjects are going to look horrible! If you position the person you’re going to take a picture of in direct sunlight – of any kind whether it’s coming from behind the photographer or not – will result in harsh shadows on the face. The eyes will be in shadow, they’ll squint, there will be a large shadow under the nose and every wrinkle will show on the person’s face.

So, what is the best light for taking a person’s picture in? Shade. We photographers refer to it as ‘open shade’. That means that the light is very soft, casts little shadow, but does have some direction, which helps model the features of the subject. Most importantly, in this type of light, your subject won’t be squinting and they’ll look great.

You can find open shade in a variety of places. The most obvious is the shade of a tree. Another great place is the shade of a building. Open shade usually occurs in middle to late afternoon.

When I photograph a wedding many of the brides are mystified when I see that the day has become over cast and cloudy. Of course every bride wishes her day to be all sunshine and flowers, but I love it when the clouds move and block out the sun. It acts like a big studio soft box or umbrella. In this type of light you can almost put your subject in any location at all.

Once and while you aren’t able to seek out that open shade of a building or a stand of trees and you’re forced to work in bright sunlight. Don’t fret. There’s still hope! Move your subject to where the harsh sun is the least problematic and turn their back to the sun. Their face is now shaded from the unkind effects of the light. But, if you take a shot like that your camera will read the bright background and expose for it leaving the subject dark. So, step close; fill the camera’s viewfinder with the subject’s face, partially depress the shutter button and hold it. Then, step back, recompose the subject within the viewfinder and fully depress the shutter button. Now you should have your subject exposed properly

So, next time you’re out with your camera and you’d like to take a snap shot of your favourite friend or family member, have a look around for open shade and place your subject in that light and then take your photo. You’ll see a great difference in your photographs.