Photo Tip: Direct Sunlight

Today I came across a group of six Red Shouldered Hawks in my yard today. Two of them offered great photo ops. So I come up to one and he shows no signs of flight so I keep approaching until I am as close as I can get. The lighting situation was direct sunlight. The sun was shining directly on him from the front. This is the lighting that you want. But since the light was a little harsh I brought my "exposure compensation" down half a stop. Which is just one turn of the command dial on your DSLR. This brought my exposure level to an even state. I also put my white balance on the setting "direct sunlight" which helped balance the colors. So whenever the light is at a good angle but too harsh on the birds feathers try these two things and see the difference. To really see what difference white balance makes, read the post titled "White Balance." Thanks to all who read TBAB and happy birding everyone!

Posted by John Mark Simmons

Red Shouldered Hawk by John Mark Simmons