“Try to always shoot with the sun behind you” is common advice for photographers. This is very true if you are looking for a nice even exposure. However, taking photographs into the sun can also yield great results. I have been experimenting with this recently, and on our holiday it became a bit of an obsession.
I was lucky enough to have endless days of blue sky, and full sunshine, (excluding our black and white day shown on NABLOPOMO Day 4)
The challenge of taking photographs into the sun
Taking photographs into the sun can be a bit of a challenge, the camera wants to close up to stop the sun coming in, and try to give it an even exposure. This is where the manual setting on the camera comes into its own, and you can force it to overexpose.
Who cares if the great big ball of fire in the sky is blown out a bit? As long as the Colorado River, or the Elephant Seals, or the PCH is suitably exposed!! The sun can really add a good feature of the photograph.
All of these pictures in this post have had no photoshop trickery.
They are as shot, with a few adjustments for shadows, contrast etc. Any lens flares etc are naturally produced. I hope you enjoy them.
Why don’t you get out there, set the camera on Manual, and try taking photographs into the sun.
Sedona 
Grand Canyon 
Sunrise at the Grand Canyon 
Another one of the Sunrise at Grand Canyon 
Death Valley 
While driving (apologies for the bug splattered dirty windscreen) 
Yosemite (I think) 
Definitely Yosemite 
Yosemite again!! 
Errr…and again, just before our walk up vernal falls 
Bay Bridge, San Francisco 
The Yard, at Alcatraz 
Union Square, San Francisco 
Sunbathing Seals at Pier 39, San Francisco 
On the Pacific Coast Highway 
View from the Big Sur Coast Gallery & Cafe 
Elephant Seals on the PCH 
At the Top of the Santa Barbara Courthouse 
Flags at a college in Malibu 
Santa Monica Beach 
Overlooking LA, the Hollywood sign is behind us 
Santa Monica Silhouettes 
Sunset in Santa Monica 
Santa Monica sunset (with bird!!) 
