Superhero Photo Challenge: Shoot into the sun

photo by Anna Kuperberg

I am a self-taught photographer and every once in a while I get a little insecure about the fact that I don't know much about F-stops and shutter speeds. I'd love to be able to walk into any situation and instantly know how to set my camera for the perfect exposure. But alas, digital came around just in time! and now I get to simply play and experiment and know just enough to get what I want but not too much to lose my sense of play. And then there's that handy little screen that shows you what you're getting. Thank god for the little screen!

One "rule" someone told me many moons ago and I had never questioned was this: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT shoot directly into the sun!! Your subjects will turn out dark, you might have lens flare, the picture will be terrible and you will look like a total hack. Did any of you out there believe this too? Are you blinding your friends by having them look into the sun like me?

When I fell in love with Anna Kuperberg's photos I noticed how brilliantly she used sunlight. And I want to highlight the word, used... she didn't just tolerate the sun or work around it like I did, she really uses it to her advantage and gets the most extraordinary images shooting straight into the sun. (The photo above is from my maternity portrait session with her)

This week's challenge is in two parts. First, I want to see your best shots shooting right into the sun (or having the subjects head just blocking it) Get some lens flair! Have some fun... I also want to hear your tips for getting great images this way. Do any of you know how to use the sun to your advantage? I would love to hear. (And if you are using flickr, please tag your photo with superhero photo challenge. Your shot will end up on this page.)

Comments

[merrymishaps]

I went out in my yard this afternoon to shoot for this challenge. This one was my favorite.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/merrymishaps/2269903721/

[rashmi]

i love sun flare.. and am a huge fan of anna.. what a gorgeous maternity portrait!!!!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2304/2258134432_97f66000f5.jpg

[catherine]

I took this shot specifically to shoot into the sun...

http://thefountainpen.net/photoblog/index.php?showimage=76

[jessica new]

Breaking The Rules, Rules... We are such REBELS!!
LOL.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicanew/255028530/

[shirbit]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shirbits/2269474713/

[Jeanine]

I love shooting into the sun - it gives the photo such a nostalgic 70s mood. Here are 2 of my favorites. The first one just wouldn't have been the same without the big ball of light and colorful sun rays.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15607464@N03/2173494778/in/set-72157603578384479/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15607464@N03/2207567468/in/set-72157603578384479/

[JennyB3]

Here is a shot into the sun (more sunset) at my most favourite place in the world to be...my cottage.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23134155@N07/2270745251/

[littlepurplecow]

Shooting into the sun just before it departed resulted in this for me:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlepurplecow/2240852416/in/set-72157603805296154/

[allie]

this was so much fun!
http://simple-pie.blogspot.com/2008/02/super-hero-photo-challenge.html

[Shalet]

What a gorgeous maternity photo!!!

[SoCal Heather]

I don't know anything about photography but that I LOVE your site! Here's an "extended-arm" self portait:
http://photos.walmart.com/slideshow/AlbumID=23584047/PictureID=653375128/a=7880693_7880693/t_=7880693

[brittany]

here are a few links of my photos looking into the sun. I love this challenge:)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43773191@N00/1973727620/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43773191@N00/1591784107/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43773191@N00/1397782633/

[heathre]

I posted a couple shots I took this weekend at: http://heathreb.blogspot.com/2008/02/superhero-photo-challenge-3.html
I lucked out - there was actually sun in Portland (OR) this weekend - quite a rarity in February :)

[Y]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyunexpectedcom/2272413155

[mel from freak parade]

I know I'm a little late, but I completely forgot I had this one. I know it is not by the rules, but I still love it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/muckyyuck/2145446915/

[Angela]

Missed this one...I love doing this!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ang_loves_jesus/2155529310/in/set-72157600516346556/

[Jill]

Here's my contribution!

http://mjbillingtonquebec.blogspot.com/2008/02/photo-challenge.html

[maggie ann.]

'Ello, here is my contribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mostsincerely/2274741910/

ps. everytime I think of this photo challenge the Joseph Arthur (In the Sun) song comes into my head :) Anyone else?

[leslie]

this is a link to a set...I wish I knew what made the camera 'over read' the sun in these shots from the Winter beach with our friends one year ago...
http://flickr.com/photos/lesophiephoto/sets/72157603932549736/
and I LOVE to shoot all the wrongs ways Andrea. Happy accidents abound :)

[Mama DB]

I've been learning to use sun light to my advantage with my new camera. I took this in the late afternoon. My son had been sick and cooped up in the house for days on end. I took him outside to run around a bit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23829646@N02/2275034654/

[Shama-Lama Mama]

Oooh, I am so inspired to do more of this! So many great shots!

We are all too sick around here to even move out into the sunlight.. but here is one I took a couple months ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shama-lama_mama/919799818/

[Andy]

once again, late in the game
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82507634@N00/2275281482/

[laura plouzek]

I LOVE doing this. I took this one several years ago to celebrate the first day warm enought to drive around with my convertable top down. YAY!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilinglaura/249551460/

It was taken on a camera phone, while I was driving... *giggles*

[jen downer]

i heart sunflare.
if anyone is interested, i started a flickr group for sunflare-y shots:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/349294@N25/

and here is a fun shot i got today of my girl in the rare portland february sunshine!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shesawthings/2275748300/

[Ashley]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleydano/1149244819/in/set-72157600157854946/

Taken while in a small Cessna plane above the Oregon coast...the light from the sun allowed me to capture the front propeller while in motion (which is incapable of being seen with the naked eye while it is running)

I love shooting the sun. It seems strangely magical to me

[Pascale Wowak]

http://www.pascalewowakphotoblog.com/2008/02/carly-kevin.html

Here are some pregancy pics I took last week and the shooting into the sun/flare ones are at the end of this quick link. I LOVE shooting into the sun and actually prefer to shoot this way. It allows for so much creativity and artistic freedom! Love all the contributions thus far! Pascale

[Elaine]

We went up to the mountains this weekend and I took the challenge to heart, skipping through the woods with my little camera and shooting along side my dear friend Nate. I like what I got here... the trees have their own sense of character.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerlane/2275960175/

[Lois Lane]

What a great challenge. I would never have thought to do this without your prompting. Thank you!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superha/2276010865/in/pool-shuttersisters

[Liz]

I just had to pull over the other day on my way over the mountain. It was like a magic ice kingdom everywhere you looked.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bimacs/2266499875/

My only advice for shooting into the sun is, be fast and don't stare!!

[Paige]

Hey that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be! But my eye really hurt afterward. I wonder if this is safe!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkphoto/2277142829/in/photostream/

[Maggie]

Oh, I love this challenge! Sun flares are so fun -- they add a certain atmosphere to a photo.

Here's my contribution -- the sun over some sparkly junk in the desert and a shoe tree!

http://maggiejumps.blogspot.com/2008/02/photo-challenge-shoot-into-sun.html

[Calissa]

Not sure how I feel about this photo.... I love the sun's effect, but the photo itself turned out blurry. But maybe that's okay??
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2279755700

[Calissa]

Oh, a couple more I found where I shot into the sun.... didn't realize it at the time! And I really like them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2178326252
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2140074428
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marycalissa/2140074500

[Lisl Sukachevin]

It took me a few days to get this up, but here's my photo:

http://flickr.com/photos/73718243@N00/2279264801/

We went to the zoo in D.C. on Monday (70 degrees outside!) and the sun was bright and warm.

[Christine]

I am just getting started, so I only have a couple of shots facing into the sun. This is my favorite so far. Who knew that was against the rules? : )

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23308542@N05/2279719487/

[sarah reed]

This is my favorite one that I have ever done. I break a lot of photography 'rules.'

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thereeds/2207975578/

[Molly]

I was sort of keeping this all to myself. I love the feeling of it, but now I feel you've sort of given me "permission" if you will, to share it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeonflower/2280347819/

[Anali]

That is a stunning photo! And this is a great idea for a photo challenge. I had a lot of fun working on this, so thanks! Here is the link to my post.

http://analisfirstamendment.blogspot.com/2008/02/shooting-into-sun.html

[nicky thomas]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickythomasphotography/1435193500/

[D'Andrea]

I love trying to see how the sun plays off the lens. I'll point into sun with angle I want and then adjust camera slightley depending on how sun bounces off lens.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandreabowie/1557365360/in/set-72157603956778090/

made a grouping with some other favs, have a tough time editing!

[natala]

http://atheart.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/in-the-sun/

This is my red sun... outside our parking garage.

[Melissa]

I caught this one two days ago.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24035778@N04/

[pdx momma]

Too much fun. Thanks for getting me out into the sun!

http://pdxmomma.blogspot.com/2008/02/superhero-challenge-shoot-into-sun.html

[Amanda]

A little late, but the sun doesn't shine much around here - all gray and overcast. Thanks for the inspiration!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10955082@N06/2287291048/in/set-72157603596475935/

[Aimee]

I'm a little late but here's my FIRST ever sun flare:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/putyourflareon/2286530834/

Great challenge. I had fun.

[emily]

i'm ridiculously shy about sharing my work...but this is my year for fearlessness! thank you for this challenge, andrea!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/girl_seeking_grace/2293173038/

[Beautiful Witch]

This was a wonderful challenge. Who knew I could take pictures of stars?

http://thebeautifulwitch.blogspot.com/2008/02/superhero-photo-challenge-shoot-into.html

[Vanessa]

some into-the-sun shots (plus some blue birthday greetings!): http://risingtothechallenge.blogspot.com/2008/02/self-portrait-challenge-blue-4.html

Vx

[cyndi aka sabine's fotos @ flickr]

I love the effect shooting in the sun has on the mood of the picture!
Here are some of my shots
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyndipix/2293740599/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyndipix/2238059534/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyndipix/2259501024/

[Nikki Russo]

Hi there! This is such a wonderful site and I am happy to have found it through my friend Swirly's website! You are all such creative spirits!
I too am still learning the ropes in regards to shutter speeds, stops, etc with my new camera (Nikon D40 6.1). I am not sure what techniques are "correct" when shooting into the sun, but I got this shot about 2 weeks ago in on Venice beach and thought I would share!
~much love

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vintagedivvagirl/2295182764/