1. Avoid Direct Sunlight
Bright sunlight provides good lighting conditions, making scenery vibrant, colors saturated, and allowing for high shutter speeds and small apertures. However, strong sunlight can also cause problems, most notably its glare, which can make subjects squint, and high-angle direct light can cast deep shadows on faces, highlighting wrinkles and detracting from a subject’s appearance. When taking outdoor photos, try to have sunlight hit the subject from the side, and avoid having their face directly facing the sun.
2. Avoid Being Too Close to Colorful Environments
Under bright lighting, the reflectivity of objects increases. In such conditions, people should try to stay away from brightly colored scenes (like freshly painted building exteriors or large sunshades), otherwise the colors of those surroundings may reflect onto the person and cause color casts.
3. Avoid Taking Photos Under Midday Light on Concrete Surfaces
Because concrete surfaces are relatively flat and light in color, they create strong reflections. This type of upward "footlight" effect can often produce a eerie look, which should be avoided as much as possible.
4. Avoid Taking Photos Near Trees
Light and shadow complement each other — the stronger the light, the deeper the shadows. When a person stands next to a tree for a photo, sunlight often projects the patterns of leaves onto the person’s body or face, creating dappled shadows that can harm the aesthetic of the image.
5. Don’t Overlook the Use of Filters
Under a cloudless blue sky, all shaded areas take on a bluish tint; while in the glow of sunset, everything is bathed in an orange-red hue. In such environments, if you want to maintain the original colors of the scenery, you must use appropriate filters in front of the lens. In the former case, use light red or amber filters; in the latter, use light blue filters.
6. Avoid Using High-Speed Film
Under the intense sunlight of a clear, cloudless sky, the light intensity is already very high. Using high-speed film will often force the aperture to a very small setting or prevent the use of slower shutter speeds. These conditions can limit creative possibilities in photography.
7. Avoid Random Use of Fill Light
Under bright daylight, scenes have strong contrast. To avoid excessive contrast, using fill light for auxiliary illumination can be effective, but it must be done with care—avoid making the fill light too bright or letting its presence become obvious (such as creating shadows opposite to the main light).
8. Don’t Rely Entirely on Auto Exposure
Many photography enthusiasts prefer using auto exposure when taking outdoor photos, not realizing that auto exposure can only handle ordinary situations. It may fail in more complex lighting scenarios, such as half-lit or backlit conditions. So, it's important to adjust exposure manually based on specific situations.
9. Avoid Shooting Directly Into Backlight Toward the Lens
When shooting against the light under strong lighting conditions, be careful not to let the light shine directly into the lens, as this can easily cause lens flare.
10. Avoid Wearing Highly Reflective Clothing
When taking photos in strong light, if the subject wears highly reflective clothing (such as white shirts or garments made of shiny nylon), the fabric may appear overly bright or develop large glare spots, making it difficult to show the texture of the clothes.