Where is the sun? A study in how the sun's position affects the subject.

Solitary sandpiper photographed in Didsbury, Alberta.

Whenever I am out photographing, I am always aware of where the sun is.  It isn't an issue when there is heavy cloud covering as shadows are non-existent and the lighting is flat and even.  It is a different story on days with light cloud or full sun as shadows make their presence known and the sun's position relative to the subject is important.

All the exposures were exactly the same; notice the colour density of the concrete platform the bird is standing on.  If the sun is behind the bird (relative to me), the subject is backlit (2:00 position).  In order properly expose it would mean letting in about 2 more stops of light; that would overexpose the background and render the image less attractive.  At 3:00 the sun is coming from the right of the bird so that its left side is in full shadow.

As I moved around the bird, the sun's position meant less shadow and better lighting until I was at the 6:00 position.  Here the sun was at my back and provided the best lighting.  I say that I am "pointing my shadow" at the subject when shooting from this position.  I wrote another blog on this which you can find here.  I generally find this the best position to photograph a subject from and will approach from this relative angle whenever I can.

Of course, as I rotated past the 6:00 angle the sun's position produced less attractive shadows and lighting on the subject.  Although the 6:00 position is preferred, I find that anything between the 5:00 to 7:00 position tends to be relatively good.  The exception to the 6:00 position is when the sun is very low to the horizon and your shadow actually falls on your subject; this is especially problematic when shooting with wide-angle lenses.  Also, I like some soft shadows when photographing landscapes and so am less likely to use the "point your shadow" rule.

There is the idea too that a poor photo is better than no photo at all.  In cases where the sun is in a less-than-decent position, I will take numerous shots, varying camera settings to compensate for backlighting and my position when possible.  The fact is that you cannot always be in the best place in any given situation.  I have to temper my shooting knowing that luck and planning don't always work in my favour.  Besides, for me it's about being outdoors and witnessing the beauty of the world around me, regardless of the sun's position.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com