Photographing in direct sunlight

Scouting a location

I’ll start by doing a lot of scouting, and planning for the light is a big part of that. I’ll use Google Maps in terrain mode to get a feel for the landscape, then turn to the PhotoPills app to check where the sun will be at a specific time and place. Knowing exactly when and where the light will hit the landscape helps you plan your compositions much more effectively.

Using the right tools

As long as you’re using the right tools, working in direct light gives you so much room to be creative. I carry a fair bit of Nikon gear in my kitbag, but my go-to set-up for direct conditions is the Nikon Z9, which is such a solid all-rounder for stills and video, most usually paired with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S. Nikon lenses perform really well in bright light, but some definitely shine more than others. If I’m aiming for that classic starburst or sun flare effect, the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S or the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S are absolutely fantastic. Stop down to f/16 or f/22 with the sun just peeking through trees or a building, and the results can be pretty stunning. For something more versatile, I’ll usually reach for the NIKKOR Z 28-75mm f/2.8. It’s lightweight, sharp and just easy to work with. But if I want that extra level of sharpness and contrast, especially in bright conditions, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is the one. It delivers every time.

To avoid overexposing the image, I use the NiSi True Color ND-VARIO 1-5 Stops filter. It makes adjusting exposure super easy without compromising on quality. You don’t necessarily need one that shifts across five stops, but it’s definitely handy when the light changes quickly. It’s especially useful when you want to blur motion, for example on water or clouds, with longer exposures. Say I’m photographing a waterfall and I want that silky-smooth effect: I’ll dial the ND filter to around 3-5 stops and slow my shutter to about one second. That’s when you can really create some beautiful, dreamy results. And since you’ll be working with slower shutter speeds, a sturdy tripod becomes essential, too. It just makes everything a lot easier.

Essential settings for stills

Mastering your histogram is key, I rely on it more than any other tool. It gives a quick visual read of whether I’m about to blow out highlights, so it’s essential for keeping exposure in check. For stills, I typically open the aperture as wide as possible and drop the ISO all the way down. Then, using the histogram, I’ll expose to the right, just up to the edge of clipping, to retain as much data as possible.

One of the most common mistakes I still make, especially in bright and direct light conditions, is blowing out the sky completely. When the highlights are clipped, there’s no recovering them. That’s why I often use bracketing for stills. And while you can’t bracket video in the same way, the principle still applies. Once the highlights are gone, they’re gone. It’s frustrating, but it’s part of the process. One thing I wish I’d learned earlier is just how powerful bracketing can be. I’ve learned to take three exposures spaced about 1-2 stops apart (underexposed, normal and overexposed), then blend them later in post to recover detail across the full dynamic range. It might sound technical but, once you try it, it’s surprisingly straightforward and incredibly useful. Even if you’re not planning a full HDR edit, having those extra exposures gives you far more flexibility later. I’ll often pair bracketing with my camera’s highest FPS setting to minimise movement between images, which really helps in windy conditions. I use it all the time now for landscapes and static scenes – any situation where I know a single frame just won’t capture it all.

Setting up for video

Capturing video adds another layer of complexity. Simply lowering your ISO and opening the aperture isn’t always enough. For video, you typically want a shutter speed that’s double your frame rate, so if I’m filming at 60fps I’ll set my shutter to 1/125 sec. That’s pretty slow for bright conditions, even with ISO and aperture adjusted, so this is where your ND filter becomes essential. The NiSi True Color ND-VARIO 1-5 stops filter lets me dial in the exact amount of light reduction I need without sacrificing image quality.

I also make use of Zebra Patterns – striped overlays that appear on overexposed areas in your frame. I usually set them between 245 and 250 to quickly spot and control any areas that are too bright. Combined with N-Log, you’ll get more dynamic range and flexibility in post, helping retain detail even in high-contrast scenes. I film in 4K at 60fps so I can slow it down later for Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts without losing quality.

Creative compositions

Bright and direct light forces you to think differently about composition, exposure and subject placement. Whether I’m capturing photos or video, I try to show the world as it is – bright, vivid and full of life – and I really love that natural look with a bit of pop. Sure, midday sun, especially in summer, is nowhere near as flattering as golden hour, which naturally brings out that look, but I’ve come to enjoy the creative challenge. It pushes me to be more intentional with my compositions and, in the long run, it’s made me a better photographer.

It might surprise people, but I actually like aiming towards the sun when photographing people or animals. For portraits, it helps avoid harsh facial shadows and squinting, and it creates a beautiful rim light that makes the subject stand out. For animals, that glow effect can add a cinematic feel and really elevate the frame.

If the light is especially strong, I’ll lean into it and go for a silhouette. Try stopping down to a smaller aperture such as f/11 or beyond to get a sunburst effect – those crisp, pointed rays around the sun – and frame the sun behind something, for instance a mountain, tree or building, as it helps control flare and adds more structure to the composition.

To be honest, I rarely go out intending to work with the sun directly overhead, but there are times when that kind of light actually works in your favour. In dense forests, for example, I’ll point a wide-angle lens, such as the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S, straight up along the trees. The harsh sunlight filtering through the canopy can look really dramatic. The same goes for tight spaces like gorges, where overhead light can reach places that would otherwise sit in deep shadow. One of my favourite images is actually a portrait of myself taken in a canyon during the middle of the day. A narrow beam of light was cutting through the shadows from above, and I knew instantly how I wanted the image to look. I quickly dialled in the settings, handed the camera to a family member, and directed them on where to stand and when to press the shutter. The result was surreal, bright light slicing through darkness, creating a kind of spotlight effect. That image wouldn’t have worked in soft evening light. It was the harsh light that made it. A good reminder that sometimes tough conditions are the secret ingredient.

A handy hack

Here’s a simple and fun technique I use when the sun is in my frame and it’s just too much to handle. First, I take a normal photo with the sun visible. Then, I take a second of the same composition, but this time I place my finger in front of the lens to block just the sun. This helps preserve detail that would otherwise be lost to flare or extreme highlights. Later in editing, I’ll blend the two together in Photoshop or, if I don’t want to blend, I’ll use an AI tool to remove the finger which is easier than most people realise as it’s only covering a small part of the frame. It’s a quick trick but, for me, it’s one that’s saved more than a few pictures.

Post-production practices

For stills, I usually start by pulling down the highlights and reducing contrast to create a flatter base. From there, I slowly build the colours and tones back up. This gives me more control over the final result and helps keep the look natural. My aim is always to reflect how the scene felt in the moment. Sometimes I’ll add a bit more pop to make it stand out, but it still has to feel real.

With high-contrast midday stills, I begin by assessing how much dynamic range I have to work with. Nikon cameras do a great job of retaining detail in both shadows and highlights, which really helps in post. In Lightroom, I’ll usually lift the shadows gently and pull down the highlights just enough to recover detail without making it look too processed. If needed, I’ll make local adjustments with radial filters or masks to fix problem areas. If the contrast is too extreme, I’ll blend bracketed exposures to get a more balanced image.

Video is a bit trickier, since you can’t bracket frames in the same way. That’s why I always film in N-Log. It gives me a flatter image with more room to work with later. In post, I’ll lift the darks slightly, adjust contrast and tweak the colour balance to create something that feels natural but still cinematic. For both stills and video, I want the final look to feel how it really was, just with a little extra magic.

The biggest takeaway

Patience. I’ve shown up to plenty of locations and been disappointed by the light, only to have it shift completely a few minutes later. And sometimes it’s the opposite: perfect morning light disappears before I can even get set up. Planning and good scouting help a lot, but being flexible is just as important. Light changes fast and some of the best images happen just before or after the moment you were expecting. Luck definitely plays a part, but you’ve got to chase it, so I head out as much as I can to give myself the best chance of being in the right place at the right time.