There is such a thing as too much light for photography!
If I'm out in public with my camera gear and it's a bright sunny day, invariably someone will spot my cameras and comment "What a great day for taking pictures!" Actually, it couldn't be farther from the truth, but I don't want to appear rude, so I'll usually nod in agreement and say "It is gorgeous, isn't it?"
Well, the truth is that photographers actually avoid shooting in the brightest sun. Those lovely landscape photos that appear in calendars and grace the covers of travel guides are usually taken in the first few minutes after sunrise or the last few minutes before sunset, capturing what photographers refer to as "Magic Light." At the very beginning and end of the day the sun is low, close to the horizon, and any shadows that it casts are long and soft. Often this light is in extraordinary shades of pink, red, purple, orange, and gold.
So, landscape photographers typically set their alarm clocks and rise an hour or so before sunrise so they can be in place for the very first light of the day. 
They shoot like crazy outdoors for an hour or so, then they move to the part of their shot list that has shots in the shade or even indoors.
If there are no indoor or shaded items on their shot list, they might pack their cameras away and go eat breakfast, take a shower, take a nap, do office work, or scout for the location where they'll spend the next sunrise and sunset. Then, just before sunset, they spring into action again to catch the last light of the day.
Believe it or not, photographers actually like overcast, cloudy, and even foggy days, as the clouds and fog can diffuse the light, making it soft and even.
Sometimes photographers will get really lucky, and get the best of both worlds: light wispy clouds which persist throughout the day, enough clouds to soften the bright sun but not enough clouds to block out the deep blue sky.
From the Greek photo (light) and graphy (to write or to draw), photography is all about the light. It's not about having the most expensive camera or whether you shoot digital or film. Instead, it is about capturing images in the most beautiful light possible. Beautiful light can make or break a shoot.
Just as Magic Light flatters the landscape, it is also excellent light for portraiture. If you hire a photographer for family portraiture, chances are the photographer will suggest that you schedule your photo session late in the afternoon, when the outdoor light is most flattering to people.
Or, if your family is available only in the middle of the day, the photographer might suggest that the photos be taken indoors maybe with studio lighting.
Unfortunately, wedding events in general and the posed photos in particular usually can't be scheduled around when the outdoor lighting is most likely to be ideal. That's because the wedding typically is scheduled with regard to when a church is available or how long the reception site is booked, or when the cocktail hour and meal need to be set so guests won't be famished. Likewise, wedding photographers can't cover only the portion of the outdoor activities that coincide with the "Magic Light," though chances are if the photographer is hired for extended coverage, the light will be excellent for at least a few hours during the coverage period. During the rest of the coverage period if the guests and festivities are out of doors, a good photographer works to make the best possible photos in the existing lighting.
Wedding photographers are often called upon to cover outdoor wedding ceremonies that are outside in the middle of the day when the sun is its brightest and directly overhead. If the wedding happens to fall on a bright-sun-blue-sky day--exactly what every bride and groom wish for, this often means special challenges for photography. Sometimes it means a bride (in a white dress) is standing in direct sunlight while the groom (in a black tux) is standing in the shade. The special challenge there is that film (and digital) cameras aren't able to record the full range of tones that our eyes can handle, so the either the bride's dress must be overexposed or the groom's tux underexposed. With cameras' limited abilities to record such a wide range of light, it's simply not possible to record both correctly.
Or, perhaps the guests are seated in "broken shade" where rays of very bright sunlight break through otherwise flattering shadows to cause hot spots. 
The photographer can't interrupt the ceremony and ask the couple (or guests) to scoot a few feet to the right where there is shade, but must execute the best possible photos under the circumstances.
Most "formal" or posed pictures at a wedding are taken directly before or after the ceremony, in the same sort of light, and this is where the photographer can step in and take control and move the subjects to more flattering light. Not only does bright sun entail dark shadows, and encourage squinting, but if the weather is warm, the hot sunlight can make subjects uncomfortable and bring on perspiration, especially when the men are in dark tuxes which suck up the hot sun. When I'm shooting wedding portraits and the light is bright, I look for more flattering light in large areas of shade, on porches, in open doorways, and inside near large windows.
Porch light can be very sweet, flattering light. It is usually stronger from one direction (from the open side of the porch) but usually not so much stronger as to be contrasty.
Coming in from the side (instead of from overhead) it wraps around faces very softly.
Open doorways are much like porches. Light is soft, shaded, directional and flattering.
When light is very strong outside, often it's very soft inside right by windows. And, if the color of the room is warm (yellow, gold, wood) the light indoors is often warm.
When it's cold and/or rainy, it's often possible to get very flattering light right next to window, especially if there is a wall of windows, a large sliding glass door, or an enclosed porch providing a very broad source of light. 
One key when moving inside for photos is to find a background that is "clean" or not distracting. When I move indoors or in the shade, if the background is not particular scenic or compelling, I'll often zoom in closer on faces, cropping out/minimizing the background.
If I move my subjects to a shady or indoor spot for midday formal posed portraits, I usually look for the opportunity to repeat a few of the most important posed shots (the couple, the bridal party) out of doors, later in the day when the bright sun has softened and gorgeous sunset conditions have developed. Later in the day, closer to sunset, when the Magic Light has materialized, I like to sneak in a few more quick shots in light that is flattering to both people and the scenery. 
Well, the truth is that photographers actually avoid shooting in the brightest sun. Those lovely landscape photos that appear in calendars and grace the covers of travel guides are usually taken in the first few minutes after sunrise or the last few minutes before sunset, capturing what photographers refer to as "Magic Light." At the very beginning and end of the day the sun is low, close to the horizon, and any shadows that it casts are long and soft. Often this light is in extraordinary shades of pink, red, purple, orange, and gold.
So, landscape photographers typically set their alarm clocks and rise an hour or so before sunrise so they can be in place for the very first light of the day. 
They shoot like crazy outdoors for an hour or so, then they move to the part of their shot list that has shots in the shade or even indoors.
If there are no indoor or shaded items on their shot list, they might pack their cameras away and go eat breakfast, take a shower, take a nap, do office work, or scout for the location where they'll spend the next sunrise and sunset. Then, just before sunset, they spring into action again to catch the last light of the day.Believe it or not, photographers actually like overcast, cloudy, and even foggy days, as the clouds and fog can diffuse the light, making it soft and even.
Sometimes photographers will get really lucky, and get the best of both worlds: light wispy clouds which persist throughout the day, enough clouds to soften the bright sun but not enough clouds to block out the deep blue sky.
From the Greek photo (light) and graphy (to write or to draw), photography is all about the light. It's not about having the most expensive camera or whether you shoot digital or film. Instead, it is about capturing images in the most beautiful light possible. Beautiful light can make or break a shoot.Just as Magic Light flatters the landscape, it is also excellent light for portraiture. If you hire a photographer for family portraiture, chances are the photographer will suggest that you schedule your photo session late in the afternoon, when the outdoor light is most flattering to people.
Or, if your family is available only in the middle of the day, the photographer might suggest that the photos be taken indoors maybe with studio lighting.
Unfortunately, wedding events in general and the posed photos in particular usually can't be scheduled around when the outdoor lighting is most likely to be ideal. That's because the wedding typically is scheduled with regard to when a church is available or how long the reception site is booked, or when the cocktail hour and meal need to be set so guests won't be famished. Likewise, wedding photographers can't cover only the portion of the outdoor activities that coincide with the "Magic Light," though chances are if the photographer is hired for extended coverage, the light will be excellent for at least a few hours during the coverage period. During the rest of the coverage period if the guests and festivities are out of doors, a good photographer works to make the best possible photos in the existing lighting.
Wedding photographers are often called upon to cover outdoor wedding ceremonies that are outside in the middle of the day when the sun is its brightest and directly overhead. If the wedding happens to fall on a bright-sun-blue-sky day--exactly what every bride and groom wish for, this often means special challenges for photography. Sometimes it means a bride (in a white dress) is standing in direct sunlight while the groom (in a black tux) is standing in the shade. The special challenge there is that film (and digital) cameras aren't able to record the full range of tones that our eyes can handle, so the either the bride's dress must be overexposed or the groom's tux underexposed. With cameras' limited abilities to record such a wide range of light, it's simply not possible to record both correctly.
Or, perhaps the guests are seated in "broken shade" where rays of very bright sunlight break through otherwise flattering shadows to cause hot spots. 
The photographer can't interrupt the ceremony and ask the couple (or guests) to scoot a few feet to the right where there is shade, but must execute the best possible photos under the circumstances.Most "formal" or posed pictures at a wedding are taken directly before or after the ceremony, in the same sort of light, and this is where the photographer can step in and take control and move the subjects to more flattering light. Not only does bright sun entail dark shadows, and encourage squinting, but if the weather is warm, the hot sunlight can make subjects uncomfortable and bring on perspiration, especially when the men are in dark tuxes which suck up the hot sun. When I'm shooting wedding portraits and the light is bright, I look for more flattering light in large areas of shade, on porches, in open doorways, and inside near large windows.
Porch light can be very sweet, flattering light. It is usually stronger from one direction (from the open side of the porch) but usually not so much stronger as to be contrasty.
Coming in from the side (instead of from overhead) it wraps around faces very softly.Open doorways are much like porches. Light is soft, shaded, directional and flattering.
When light is very strong outside, often it's very soft inside right by windows. And, if the color of the room is warm (yellow, gold, wood) the light indoors is often warm.
When it's cold and/or rainy, it's often possible to get very flattering light right next to window, especially if there is a wall of windows, a large sliding glass door, or an enclosed porch providing a very broad source of light. 
One key when moving inside for photos is to find a background that is "clean" or not distracting. When I move indoors or in the shade, if the background is not particular scenic or compelling, I'll often zoom in closer on faces, cropping out/minimizing the background.
If I move my subjects to a shady or indoor spot for midday formal posed portraits, I usually look for the opportunity to repeat a few of the most important posed shots (the couple, the bridal party) out of doors, later in the day when the bright sun has softened and gorgeous sunset conditions have developed. Later in the day, closer to sunset, when the Magic Light has materialized, I like to sneak in a few more quick shots in light that is flattering to both people and the scenery. 
posted by Michele Stapleton at Friday, May 05, 2006
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