This photograph represents a new (at least to me) technique I like to call “framing with light”. The idea is to find pockets or streaks of light that are framed by unique patterns of shadows. Here, I placed this person’s face directly in the sun’s rays (without the subject staring straight at the sun) and shot for a natural skin tone for the highlights, not caring whether the darks were too dark. Most of the time, this situation might be better off avoided due to the dynamic range of the camera; however, strategically done, it can produce some interesting results. In case you are having trouble visualizing it, the technique is what is happening with the lights and shadows on the subject and on the tree. I picked the backdrop (the sky) to lighten the overall feel of the photograph and to enhance the overall technique.

A note on dynamic range: as you may know, the camera’s dynamic range (range from lightest lights to darkest darks) is smaller than what the human eye can capture even without dilating or constricting the pupils. Because of this, a photographer will often times shoot for the highlights or for the shadows and let the rest of the photo go where it may. When shooting for the highlights (in high contrast situations), the shadows are often darker than what the eyes see and when shooting for the shadows, the highlights are often brighter than what the eyes see.