Contrast Control: Timing and Position/Viewpoint Methods

There are ways of controlling contrast that rely on shooting at appropriate times, or changing your point of view. Your ability to use these methods will depend on the subjects you are shooting – obviously, if you are shooting quickly-moving subjects (wildlife, sports, urban/street photography, events, etc.) many of these techniques will not be practical. But if you are shooting landscapes, scenics, travel, architectural, etc., they may help to control contrast.

The problems of mid-day light:
As much as possible, avoid the bright sun of mid-day, with its flat overhead lighting and heavy shadows. It is seldom attractive, either for people or for landscapes. And it is much more likely that mid-day light will tend to exceed the available dynamic range of your imaging chip.

Contrast and cloud cover:
Light overcast days (especially a light to medium haze or cirrus/cirrostratus clouds) can be excellent for many types of photography. The light layer of cloud will tend to diminish and diffuse the light somewhat, cutting down on its dynamic range and allowing you to capture both the highlights and good detail in the shadows.
Heavy overcast days are more challenging. A thick layer of leaden low clouds tends to make lighting too dull and flat, with little sparkle. In this situation, you may want to concentrate on architectural details, close-ups, flowers, and similar subjects. Surprisingly, shooting extremely colorful subjects in heavy overcast can work quite well.

Shoot at the beginning and end of the day, when contrast is easier to tame:
Shoot at slightly before dawn, dawn itself, and slightly after dawn. The overall contrast is much reduced at this time, since sunlight has to penetrate a much greater distance through the atmosphere. Additionally, the long shadows that result from the sun being so low in the sky can make a landscape much more interesting. The raking light can also illuminate texture details. Be prepared to change exposures quickly, and know what you want to capture, because light levels, coloration, and quality change very rapidly.
Similarly, the last hour before sunset, the sunset itself, and especially the half-hour or so right after the sun sets can be an ideal time, particularly for landscape or scenic photography. The contrast will gradually diminish and you may be able to easily capture the entire range of light levels. The light before sunset is much warmer, and that warm glow can really make your images stand out. Don’t give up after the sun goes down, either. I’ve often been surprised, when I thought my shooting time was over, to find that the light actually got better with the sun below the horizon.

Get a new viewpoint on things:
Changing your viewpoint or position can be an excellent way of dealing with image contrast. If you are shooting people shots or head shots outdoors on a sunny day, move into a shady area. Not only will the contrast be much reduced, but the people won’t be squinting into the sun. For architectural or cityscape photos, move around to another side of a building or an outdoor subject if possible. You may be able to find a position where the image’s contrast would be reduced due to different illumination.

The final set of suggestions for controlling contrast describe the ways that you can change your camera and exposure settings to give yourself the best chance of success:

NEXT

1: Contrast Control Overview
2: Filters and Lighting Methods
3: Timing and Position Methods
4: Camera Settings and Exposure Methods