CAPTURE HARSH LIGHT LANDSCAPES

Learn to master metering, exposure and composition in strong sunlight

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Difficulty level: Intermediate Time taken: 2 hours All images © Peter Fenech

It is well known that landscape photographers favour dawn and dusk for their image-making. The golden light found early and late in the day casts a warmer tone over the landscape, often creating shadows that are softer and more directional. One of the greatest disadvantages of shooting during the middle of the day is that the lighting can often be high-contrast, with blocked-up shadow detail and difficult-to-control highlights.

However, it isn't always possible to be on-location at the optimum times. Where a shooting spot requires a significant hike to be accessed or it isn't possible to stay overnight at the location, then it can be a challenge to capture the scene when the sun isn't higher in the sky. In these cases, it is essential to know how to get the best out of the shot, using the light you have available to you.

In other situations, harsh light can actually be desirable. While the shadow structure and cool cast of midday lighting don't suit all images, they can also add drama and depth to the landscape. Here, we take a close look at how to adapt the usual exposure and composition procedure to make the most of all that strong sunlight has to offer.

Shooting steps

1 Find a composition Be mindful can impact the landscape. Depending on topography, it can reduce the depth and introduce extremes of tonality. Avoid areas that may become large expanses of deep, featureless shadow a simple reframing can prevent tricky exposure work.