Shooting Into The Sun
A small church used in a movie filmed at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico
In the days of film photography, one of the “rules” that seemed to be set in stone was always to have the sun at your back. It was a real no-no to aim your camera into the sun.
One of the reasons was your subject was likely to be underexposed.
When you purchased a roll of Kodak film, in the box with the film was an instruction sheet. It offered suggestions on exposure in various lighting conditions and tips of the best way to take a good photo. One of those suggestions was, yes, “Don’t photograph with you camera aimed at the sun.”
I’ve always been a bit contrary, and following rules wasn’t my favorite exercise.
With that said, I find myself taking photographs often into the sun.
A few of the reasons I often am aiming at the sun: I like to experiment and shooting into the sun often results in surprising, unexpected results; a photograph taken into the sun often results in cool sunbursts and sun stars. And I like silhouettes, which are often the result of a backlit subject.
Sometimes there are silhouettes and a sun star or sunburst — how cool is that?
Including the sun in your image also offers a really strong point of focus for the viewer’s eye. Put the sun behind your subject and the eye is immediately drawn to it.
Below are some examples of my pointing my camera lens at the sun. My apologies to Kodak.
One of the reasons was your subject was likely to be underexposed.
When you purchased a roll of Kodak film, in the box with the film was an instruction sheet. It offered suggestions on exposure in various lighting conditions and tips of the best way to take a good photo. One of those suggestions was, yes, “Don’t photograph with you camera aimed at the sun.”
I’ve always been a bit contrary, and following rules wasn’t my favorite exercise.
With that said, I find myself taking photographs often into the sun.
A few of the reasons I often am aiming at the sun: I like to experiment and shooting into the sun often results in surprising, unexpected results; a photograph taken into the sun often results in cool sunbursts and sun stars. And I like silhouettes, which are often the result of a backlit subject.
Sometimes there are silhouettes and a sun star or sunburst — how cool is that?
Including the sun in your image also offers a really strong point of focus for the viewer’s eye. Put the sun behind your subject and the eye is immediately drawn to it.
Below are some examples of my pointing my camera lens at the sun. My apologies to Kodak.
Wind farm east of San Diego, California
Santa Rosa de Lima church ruins in Abiquiu, New Mexico
Workers on a film set in Española, New Mexico
Pelicans, Ocean Beach, San Diego, California
Giant figure outside Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Cumbres and Toltec Railroad locomotive prepares to load water at the Chama, New Mexico, station before departing for Colorado
Penitente morada at sunrise in Abiquiu, New Mexico
Ohkay Owingeh Puebo, Northern New Mexico, descanso (roadside cross) at sunrise
Construction workers prepare cement form in Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico
Semi with starburst flare, I-25 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico
Funeral for iconic lowrider Ray Martinez, of Chimayo, New Mexico. The truck shown was one that Martinez had won many hopping contest with over the years. After his death the truck was retired, never to enter a hopping contest again.
Landscape near Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, Northern New Mexico
Eppie Martinez winning a lowrider hopping contest with his father Ray Martinez's pickup truck during Lowrider Day in Espanola, New Mexico
Cerro Pedernal seen from Highway 96 in Youngsville, New Mexico
A horse illuminated by the rising sun, Espanola, New Mexico
Santa Rosa de Lima church ruins with rising sun, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Snowy branches and sunburst
White Sands National Monument at sunset
Cross and Rio Chama, at sunrise, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Weedhopper ultralight aircraft at sunset
Cemetery in Truchas, New Mexico
Nearing Coyote, New Mexico, Highway 96, Northern New Mexico
Mono Lake, Northern California
To contact Bob Eckert for assignments, consultations or workshops, please email bobeckertphotography@yahoo.com
or use the contact form on the About page
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