Hi again!
I've known for a while that soft light is better than harsh light. It's why studios use soft boxes and reflectors. I've taken photographs on sunny days, rainy days, cloudy days, snowy days... But rarely have I had a moment where I can fully appreciate the difference a cloud can make.
A couple of weeks ago I had an awesome day out with my friends in Leeds. We went to Kirkstall Abbey for a picnic, did an Alice in Wonderland themed escape room (escaped with 18 minutes to spare!), and had a very nice meal at Fazenza.
While we were at Kirkstall Abbey I got my camera out to take a few casual pictures of my friends. It was a beautiful warm sunny day with a bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds so best time to snap, right?
Or not.
In the first few photos I took my friends were squinting and had harsh shadows down their faces. Not very flattering!
About 5 minutes later a random cloud covered the sun so I adjusted my exposure and tried again.
This time the lighting was much more even across their faces, and the shadows were softer. They were not squinting and it looked much more natural.
So why do clouds do this?
Well, it's really quite simple; clouds diffuse the sunlight! The clouds soften the light rather like putting a soft box over a strobe in a studio.
So when it comes to your wedding day or portrait session and the weather is overcast, don't despair! You will get amazing softly lit photographs that are flattering and you'll want to share with everyone :)
Direct Sunlight:
Diffused Sunlight:
