Corporate Headshots/ Bay Area Photographer

How To Take Professional Headshots In Harsh Sun

1.     Search for shade- this is KEY. You want to find a pocket of shade for you and your client to stand in. Usually large trees will provide enough shade to shoot under for harsh afternoon sunlight.

2.     Search for natural background – you’ll want to shoot into bushes, trees, flowers, something that filters the sunlight.

3.     Use a wide open aperture – you will want to shoot with a wide open aperture in order to create bokeh (that nice blurred background). You should be able to get warm colors from the high sun.

4.     Watch out for harsh highlights- make sure you aren’t capturing harsh highlights in the background. That’s why shooting into greenery is best. If there is grass in the background, it will most likely be blown out from the sun.

5.     Bring a sun shield- you may need another person to hold a sun shield or reflector in order to block any sun spots that may land on your clients face/head/clothes.

The following headshots were taken around 1 pm in the afternoon when the sun was the brightest and highest. I found a pocket of shade and some greenery/trees in a parking lot across the street. I had an assistant holding a reflector to block some sun that was still peeking through the trees.