Exercise - Variety with a Low Sun

This exercise is to show the type of effects you can get by shooting with a low sun, usually early in the morning or late evening, dependant on the time of year.

Frontal lighting.

ISO 200, f/4.5, 102mm efl, 1/20 sec

Low sun in the evening, almost fully against the end of the hay bale, gives a golden colour.

ISO 200, f/5.4, 66mm efl, 1/30 sec

Slightly later on with the sun slightly lower, shows a lot of detail in the wheat stalks.

ISO 100, f/1.8, 40mm efl, 1/100 sec

Taken last year, this deliberately uses the long shadows caused by a low sun, pointing toward the brightly lit building.

Back Lighting.

ISO 160, f/7.1, 90mm efl, 1/320 sec

Taken later the same day, this example of 'back lighting', shows one of the most spectacular sunsets I have seen.

ISO 80, f/3.9, 90mm efl, 1/250 sec

Here the camera is looking straight at the sun, which is mainly hidden behind the branches, the overspill of light gives a star effect.

Side lighting.

ISO 200, f/5.3, 316mm efl, 1/25 sec

This time the light is sideways on to the bales, the shadows give a strong modelling effect.

ISO 200, f/5.2, 294mm efl, 1/250 sec

Walking along the street I saw these side lit windows, the blur (only seen after taking the first shot) is a cloud of insects lit up in the low sun.

Twilight.

ISO 200, f/6.8, 168mm efl, 1/60 sec

'In the dying of the light' - the colours are subtle and her very pale yellow and blue.

ISO 200, f/5.6, 90mm efl, 1/160 sec

The sun is just setting and the last rays are reflected in the windows.

ISO 180, f'3.3, 1/125 sec

Later on the same evening.

ISO 250, f/2, 20mm efl, 1/60 sec.,

and last thing, another night , another colour.

Widely varying colours,  lots of low shadows, beautiful effects. Well worth the effort, and, in Scotland, at least in winter, not too early or too late, of course it is the other way around in the summer.