Sun vs. Shade

Contest Update: Truly amazing. Honestly. I can’t wait to share some of these stories, they are incredible. As predicted, I am having the HARDEST time narrowing them down. We are reading through the entries right now and as we get to the top 3, I will then announce the date when we will reveal the winner(s). It will definitely be this week so hang tight!

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Yesterday we were in Eastern Washington. The sun was setting, the leaves were gold, and I had a Great Dane and 2 Golden Retrievers running around. As we were packing the car to leave, I couldn’t help but notice how rich and beautiful the light was. So I grabbed my camera and headed over to see if anyone would slow down enough to let me take some shots of them.

Chester, a former Disney Dog, is always the star of the show. So of course it is no surprise that he takes up most of the shots on my card.

Today he will give a demonstration on the differences of shooting in full sun vs. open shade. Of particular note is the fact that I shot these about 30 minutes before sunset. At sunset, the sun is lower on the horizon which helps to eliminate shadows under the eye and also provides a really rich light.

Here is a truly awful diagram to demonstrate where I was in the shots, but hopefully it helps you get a better idea of what I am talking about

Chester is in full sun here. Many people will tell you to stay away from full sun because it creates harsh light and nasty shadows. But I tend to disagree. For me, full sun creates all kinds of drama by creating interesting lines and angles with the light. Full sun is especially great for creating shadows, but make sure if you are shooting in full sun that you stay on Manual Mode. It will play all sorts of tricks on you if you are in Aperture or Shutter Priority.

Isn’t he glowing here? He reminds me so much of a lion cub.

Then we went around to the other side of the building with the sun behind the building. Open shade is great for really soft and even light. There was massive amounts of blue sky behind me which helps to keep enough light on Chester. This is his beauty shot.

Exactly 2 seconds later he did a full frontal attack and I ended up with his paws completely on my face, knocking me over. I should apply for workers compensation.