Direction of light
The direction of sunlight, especially hard sunlight, changes how people look. Which direction is best? That depends on the effect you’re trying to achieve.

• Front light: Harsh sunlight shining directly into a person’s face flattens the face and causes squinting.
• Overhead light: At midday, the sun is overhead and casts unpleasant facial shadows. Use the camera’s flash to lighten harsh facial shadows.
• Side light: Early and late in the day, position your subject so the sun strikes only one side of the face. With one side of the face brightly lit and the other side in shadow, you will create a dramatic effect. To reduce the shadow effect, use fill flash.
• Back light: Occurs when you position your subject facing away from the sun. This places your subject’s face in shadow, eliminating squinting and often adding an attractive glow to hair. Use fill flash to lighten your subject’s face.