The kids and I did a photoshoot the other day outside the front door of our house. It was early afternoon, so the sun was high and the light was harsh. The entryway to our home provides some shade, so we decided to try to take the photos there. Still, the reflections of the sun from the ground and the brick wall of the house, made it almost impossible to keep eyes open longer than a brief moment.

We tried using a reflector. That obviously didn’t work work. We tried creating shade, but we couldn’t get the reflector disc/flag up high enough. In the end, we decided to just move toward the front door, an area that was naturally shaded at the time.

Overall, I think the shots came out OK.

“Turn your head to the right. No, not that far, go back a little. Ok, tilt your chin down just a teeny bit. OK! Hold!”

Anyone who has ever worn glasses for a photo knows this struggle. I obviously need to keep practicing, but I think I did an OK job of reducing the reflections in her glasses. I’m grateful for my daughter’s willing spirit. She’s always willing to let me try a new portrait idea.

That hair! We seriously don’t know what to do with it.

“Open your eyes!”

“They are open!”

Dealing with bright sunlight is tough. When I was a kid, I could barely see when I went outside. My eyes were extremely sensitive to bright light. It would bring tears to my eyes. I felt like a blind man, searching for my way every time I left my school building to walk across the parking lot to my mom’s van. It’s a miracle that I was never run over.

On that note, go out take some photos today!