Outdoor Photography How To

We were all taught early on to always shoot with the sun to our back, and that worked OK for beginners looking for the easiest way to capture a "Kodak moment." If you're still following this familiar "rule," it's long past time to be more creative, and one effective way to do that is by setting aside what you learned about composition and try shooting towards the sun.

This technique is admittedly more challenging than the conventional approach, but the primer below from Wild Light Landscapes demonstrates foolproof techniques for transforming harsh light into breathtaking photos. So click the Play button and learn how to switch things up in the next 11 minutes.

Instructor Paul Thomson is an acclaimed British pro who lives with the Lake District on his doorstep. He says, "I'm living the dream of full-time landscape photography," and today's behind-the-scenes episode takes you along on an adventure in the Scottish highlands as he illustrates various techniques will a handful of photos made with the sun in his face.

Thomson walks you through the appropriate camera settings and demonstrates several techniques for more powerful composition.  He also discusses how affordable lens filters can be a big help for taming the sun by balancing exposure.

Bottom line: Ditch the old rule, put on your sunscreen, and face the sun head on. Think of it this way: at least you won't have to struggle with the sun hitting your camera's rear LCD and making everything difficult to see.

Once today's video concludes take a look at at Thomsons's popular YouTube channel where there are many more how-to videos for improving your shooting and post-processing skills.. And by becoming a subscriber you'll have quick access to several  valuable perks.

We also recommend watching an earlier tutorial we featured with another accomplished pro who demonstrates when, why, and how strategic tight crops will create attention-grabbing nature and landscape photographs with a more powerful effect.