Exposing for Directional Lighting

While having scenes where the sun fully illuminates the subject can be pleasing and informative, more dramatic renditions can usually be captured early or late in the day, or when a seasonal sun is low in the sky. Known as cross- or directional lighting, it relies on the conditions, be it stormy or low sun, to create a kind of spotlight within the frame. It can skim across surfaces and create bright areas that become natural attractors to the eye. Because readings should be made for these brighter areas, the shadow areas in the frame tend to darken, another bonus, since the contrast created adds even more to the impact.

When making light readings in these conditions rely on spot or Center-weighted averaging metering patterns as this will restrict--or concentrate on-- the light being read to those crucial, brighter areas. Do not hesitate to bracket exposures, to make exposures plus and minus from the actual reading; although differences can be minor, slight changes in exposure can make a big difference in attaining success with this technique. Keep an eye out for directional lighting and use it to add extra impact to your images.

The sun had just risen on this quiet street scene in Delray Beach, Florida. The light revealed a rich blue sky with billowing clouds and spotlighted the soft, rounded edges of the building. The exposure reading was made from the bright area of the building, which made the dark, shadowed building on the left a strong counterpoint.

Settings: At ISO 100, f/8 at 1/125 second. Spot metering pattern reading off the bright area on the round building.

Catching the mood of directional light requires some nuanced exposure techniques. The sun was slanting through some low clouds onto the Ile St. Louis in Paris. When light is fleeting you may have to work fast; that’s when familiarization with exposure techniques pays off. A spot meter reading was made from the building face on the left and locked, and then the image was reframed to include the boat on the Seine. 

Settings: At ISO 200, f/8 at 1/250 second, spot reading off the bright area on the left.