By Scott Shephard
There is a general rule in photography that suggests that you should never shoot into the sun. The reason for this is that inevitably the camera will underexpose the subject and you might get something called “lens flare.” Really good, clean lenses can reduce flare but even then it likely with show up.
However, it turns out that lens flare is now fashionable in portraiture and if you aren’t getting it, there’s even a way to add it in editing software. Go figure.
In the case of this “portrait,” taken with my iPhone on a hike with Deb in the Davis Mountains of West Texas, I thought I would’t have a chance given the low angle of the very strong, unfiltered sunlight. But it shows you what I know. There is no flare. And I really like the backlighting of the yucca, which, if you hadn’t noted, is growing out of a rock. I also love the way the tall grass behind him/her/it/they (non-binary?) is electrified by the sun.
What is the lesson here? Break some rules from time to time. Shoot into the sun. Drive 5 mph over the speed limit. Rip those “do not remove under penalty of law” tags off of your pillows.
Live a little. And take some pictures. (But not too many, please.)
iPhone 12 Pro Max
When is it good to break the rules?