The Winner of Tips on Beating Harsh Light Contest!

Our readers beat the summer heat and shared their pictures for the theme ‘Tips on Beating Harsh Light’. From the use of on-camera flash to shooting into the sun and deliberate use of stark shadows, we got a number of interesting images and tips from you.

The winning photograph has been featured in the July issue of Better Photography. To get featured, you can participate in our latest contest — Tips on Shooting in the Rain

Winner:

Soumya Shankar Ghosal

Photograph/Soumya Shankar Ghosal

“I was documenting Muharram in Kolkata when I crossed this gentleman and saw his peculiar shadow being cast on the newspaper. I took advantage of the harsh light hitting at a sharp angle and used it to create an illusion. In harsh light you can use the lowest ISO value for noise free and sharp images. To avoid unnecessary lens flares use a lens hood or you can use your free hand to shield the lens. A fill flash or a reflector can be used to fill light in the shadow areas.

If you are shooting portraits, keep the sun behind the person or find a shaded spot to get an even, balanced light on the face. Using a high shutterspeed in harshly lit situations can give you pleasing silhouettes.

Metering in the harsh sun can be tricky. Your best bet is to use Spot Metering so that the camera will calculate the exposure for a smaller part on the center of the frame. When shooting under the sun make sure to take necessary precautions. Remain hydrated and carry adequate water. Travel light, use sunglasses, wear a hat, and carry an umbrella (which can also be used to shade the subject). Do not point the camera directly at the sun as it can cause serious harm both to the eyes and the camera.”

Camera: Nikon D5100
Lens: Nikkor AF-S DX 18–55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
Focal Length: 35mm (field of view similar to a normal lens)
Aperture: f/14
Shutterspeed: 1/400sec
ISO: 400

The winner of this contest,Soumya Shankar Ghosal, gets BP’s collector’s edition Secrets of Shooting 12 Pocket Guide set.