Taking photos on a clear, bright day

Author: Gail Bjork

Don’t get the impression that all it does is rain in Ireland. The rain may last only a short time and the light following “bad” weather often creates rainbows and spectacular, glowing skies which will enhance the beauty of any scene.

When shooting in bright light, even if it’s diffused, you’ll have less fussing to do with camera settings. Automatic exposure mode should work just fine in most cases, whether you’re taking pictures of people, buildings or a landscape.

However, if the light causes harsh shadows, use exposure compensation or bracket to get the best exposure. When a close subject is in the shade or looks dark because of light coming from behind it, use fill-in flash.

If your digital camera doesn’t have manual controls, use a scene mode if your camera has them. They are optimized for specific scenes and automatically select focus and exposure.

Useful scene modes for taking photos in Ireland are:

• Landscape: For photos of wide scenes. Camera automatically focuses on a distant object.
• Sunset: For early morning and evening photos; helps keep the deep hues in the scene.
• Party: For taking photos in dimly lit rooms; exposure and shutter speed are automatically adjusted for room brightness. Shutter speeds will be slow so hold the camera very steady or use a camera support such as a mini-tripod.
• Sports: Take photos of a fast moving subject; fast shutter speeds “freeze” the action. Obtain best results when shots are taken in bright light; pre-focusing recommended.
• Panorama: Take a sequential series of shots of very wide vistas; stitch them together with software to make a single photo.

Photos by Gail Bjork © 2003-2009 All rights reserved. No photo may be used without prior permission.