{"id":118939,"date":"2019-08-26T07:00:53","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T12:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=118939"},"modified":"2019-08-23T13:24:22","modified_gmt":"2019-08-23T18:24:22","slug":"shooting-with-or-against-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/shooting-with-or-against-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature’s Lighting: A Guide on Shooting With or Against the Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re shooting outside on your next project, here are some tips on how to shoot both with or against the ultimate light source \u2014 the sun.<\/h2>\n

There’s one light source greater and more powerful than all the Fresnel, HMI, or LED lights put together. The sun. For as long as people have been making films, the sun\u2019s light has been the primary resource for lighting exterior shots because, well, you kind of have to<\/em> use it.<\/p>\n

This has always caused just as many problems as it\u2019s solved. Shooting with the sun can be great for certain situations, but it can also blast light far too bright and far too out of control at times. Meanwhile, shooting against the sun can create some beautiful looks, but it can also create harsh shadows and cause less advanced cameras to struggle.<\/p>\n

In this article, we’ll discuss how you can work both with and against the sun in your video shoots.<\/p>\n

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How to Avoid the Sun<\/h3>\n
\"Nature's<\/a>

Image by\u00a0Elizaveta Galitckaia<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s actually take a step back first. If you’re worried about shooting with or against the sun so much that you think it might ruin your shoot, there are ways to avoid the sunlight. One trick \u2014 if weather permits and you\u2019re lucky enough \u2014 is to shoot when it\u2019s cloudy outside. Ideally, shoot on a day when clouds cover the entire sky. You\u2019ll find that shots can be beautifully lit evenly from every direction \u2014 almost as if you have a million china balls hanging above you in every direction.<\/p>\n

A similar look comes during magic hour<\/a>, once the sun hits the horizon in its descent. This “Terrence Malick<\/a>” look is used pretty heavily in a lot of photography and cinematography, but for good reason. It creates the similar evenly lit landscape, where you can shoot any direction and the lighting will be consistent.<\/p>\n