There is no doubting that photography’s magic hours are those at dawn and dusk, when light levels are softer, shadows more mysterious and details enhanced by oblique lighting. These are the times when conditions lend themselves well to creating a masterpiece. The beautiful cool soft light of an early morning or golden warm overtones of evening take some beating, as does the sense of inner peace and satisfaction that goes with capturing images at these times.

There are some photographers, particularly those who enjoy landscapes that only work at these times of the day, and would no doubt be long gone by the time I sometimes arrive on the scene. And there are those photographers who find it strictly taboo to photograph in the mid-day sun, due to flat lighting and high levels of contrast. I cannot help thinking of the missed opportunities by not taking images any time of day. Subject obviously plays a large part in this and the correct subject may take some seeking out, but the point is that there are boundless sources of material waiting to be captured on sensor or film irrespective of the time of day.

When the sun gets high I often look at means of exaggerating the almost mandatory high contrast by using the contre-jour or backlighting technique. It offers very aesthetic opportunities for subjects than can be easily separated from their backgrounds, street scenes and even macro subjects. Often subjects can be rendered as silhouettes with detail being stripped from the image emphasising the remaining shapes within a composition. I recall a picture I took of a small fishing boat anchored off a rocky headland; the sun was high in the sky over the boat. I exposed off the bright part of the sky near the boat and the result was beautiful – a silhouette, in shades and textures of beaten silver contrasting starkly with black. I have found this technique works better with multi coated prime lenses than zooms as, generally speaking, a prime lens has less air to glass surfaces thus reducing the possibility of flare. Do not underestimate the use of a lens hood in these situations – strong off-axis light can be creative but can also ruin an image if not careful. 

Another excellent use of overhead sun is when wishing to exaggerate the high contrast of a monochrome image. So long as careful attention is paid to shadows, the results can be quite ethereal, particularly if the subjects are old houses or churchyards.

Of course these are examples for when the sun is shining brightly. There are plenty of opportunities to explore when overcast or during bad weather. As experienced landscape photographers know, fine landscape images lend themselves just as well to bad weather as they do good, allowing the photographer to capture a more sombre and brooding subject. Stormy weather interspersed with strong rays of sunlight streaming through clouds makes an ominous image. One of my favourite recent monochrome images was one taken when using my X1 for the first time. I was just itching to try the camera out and it was around noon on a grim windy day when I set out for the top of a nearby hill. I was stood in a field next to a ruined dry stone wall. Across from me was a stone barn looking pretty unimpressive in the lacklustre light. As I was watching the changing sky, several shafts of light appeared through the cloud base, streaming fleetingly across the landscape… and there was my picture.

Overcast weather at any time of the day is superb natural lighting for macro subjects, so long as the wind is not too strong. It provides very soft lighting that accentuates subtle tones in flowers – tones that can be lost when flash is used. It also makes excellent lighting for woodland photography, removing harsh shadows and contrast occurring in unrelenting sunshine.  

Many of us are not lucky enough to have sufficient free time waiting for perfect lighting; we may be travelling, or need to be at an event for a specific time. In situations like this it pays to be a little more resourceful and look for opportunities that one may not usually have to seek out if we could choose our times.

Many of my summer holidays are like this; there is always plenty of time to catch the ubiquitous early and late shots, but I am often travelling as we like to pack in as much as possible. This inevitably means I arrive at places during those hours when sunlight is harshest and often in temperatures exceeding 40° C. So my choice is either to take pictures in these conditions, or walk away and not bother. For me, photography is a challenge and an opportunity to capture something unique, so I always choose the former and make the best of the situation, often deploying techniques covered earlier. The strange thing is I am rarely disappointed by the results.

There is no substitute for the right light, but my advice is not to stop shooting simply because the sun is too high in the sky, or the conditions are not right. They may not be right for the image pictured in your head, so be resourceful and look for alternatives – experimentation leads to evolution at the expense of cliché.