Rumor has it landscape photography on bright sunny days with blue skies is not a good idea. I would disagree. Here are a few ideas for editing photos shot in the midday sun that might just inspire you to go out and shoot more in bright conditions.
The problem I have with bright sunny days is the lack of contrast and an unappealing blue haze in the distance. The first thing we tend to do is add some contrast and clarity to flat images to try to bring them to life, but that’s the worst thing you can do with a landscape photo shot on a bright, hazy sunny day. That nasty blue haze is exaggerated, and we make matters worse.
Consider Black and White
When I look at a lovely view that is being ruined by less-than-perfect light, I consider shooting a black-and-white photo. If there are appealing shapes and tonal contrast, this can often be quite effective. The sample below is a great example. I love the dark trees on the ridgeline and the light, bright sky. There’s contrast there, and the color doesn’t add to this, so let’s get rid of it. Now, the distracting colors aren’t taking away from what’s interesting about the composition.
Consider a Classic Painting Vibe
If you study classic 18th- and 19th-century landscape painters and look at the colors they used in their daytime scenes, you’ll see that they were the original color-grading experts. They introduced colors to help evoke a certain mood, and there’s more to learn here about color grading than anywhere else, in my opinion.
Often, darker tones are given a hint of red-brown, and lighter tones are given a yellow “grade.” Look at the skies in these old paintings in particular (examples within video). It’s worth the time trying to emulate classic paintings that appeal to you, using your editing app. There’s a lot we can learn from this.
How About a Vintage Film Stock Look?
Old film stock from yesteryear is making a comeback, but it’s expensive. You can emulate the colors in analog film, which is something I like to do often. But beware of putting lipstick on a pig; a boring photo will still be a boring photo.
I find the vintage film vibe works best with scenarios that are conducive to a certain time period. For example, I was in the Hollywood Hills a few years ago on assignment for a publication, and I was asked to photograph a house built in the ’50s. The bright midday Californian sun didn’t help matters, so I created a color grade in Photoshop that suited the era and took the edge off the nasty blue haze.
I invite you to take a look at a video I made, using some photos as examples of what I’ve briefly covered here. I go into a bit more detail, with examples.
Do you shoot in the bright midday sun or avoid it?