Photo Challenge: Use Harsh Mid-Day Light to Your Advantage
Image: Jose Silva
By Anne Park 2014-08-23 21:00:59 UTC
Harsh mid-day light isn't the most ideal setting for photographers. Extreme contrast, blown-out highlights and hard shadows are frequent results of shooting in sunlight.
The best way to succeed in this situation is to work with it, rather than against it. Think about what the light is doing to your subject, and use it.
For this week's Mashable Photo Challenge, use harsh mid-day light to your advantage. Freelance photographer Jose Silva, who spends a lot of time #chasingharshlight, will guest-host.
See also: 11 Creative Portraits Without Faces
Silva was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela and lived there until the age of 13, when he moved to New Jersey. Currently, he has two jobs — one as a freelance photographer, and the other as a high school special-services instructor. Due to his talent in photography, he's developed a huge presence on Instagram.
"I was always appreciative of the visual arts, but it wasn't until college when I began to understand the importance of photography, and started to fall in love with capturing the human experience through photos," Silva said.
Shortly after starting his account, he discovered that there was a talented and supportive community of like-minded photographers on Instagram, sharing some of their best work. "It amazes me how people from all over the world can connect through the platform, no matter how diverse they may be, all because of the love and appreciation of photography," he said.
Silva has some stunning examples of photos shot against harsh light. You can find them on his Instagram and Tumblr accounts. "My favorite harsh-light photos are those that show a stark contrast between the highlights and the shadows, accentuating the differences between the lights and blacks," he said.
Photo tips from Silva
1. Be on the lookout for slices and patches of light that stand out. 2. Underexpose to really capture the shadows in the shot. If you're using a DSLR, lower your exposure by a stop or two. If you're using a phone, focus on the brightest part of the screen. 3. If you choose to edit your photos, bring the exposure down even more and the contrast up until you achieve the desired effect.
Follow the directions, below, to submit your photos by Thursday, Aug. 27 at 5 p.m. ET. Silva's favorite submissions will be featured on Mashable.
How to Enter the Challenge
Tweet or Instagram your harsh-light photos with the hashtag #MashPics OR
Upload your photo in the photo widget, below
Click here to see the winning photos from this challenge.
Topics: Apps and Software, instagram, Mashable Photo Challenge Guest Series, Photography, Social Media