I’m serious. It’s the greatest collection of harsh light imagery I’ve ever laid my eyes on.  I remember starting out in photography and trying to learn ALL of the different types of light and how to shoot in it.  Literally every article I ever came across shooting in harsh light advised to ‘look for open shade’ or to ‘put the sun behind my subject’. As I kept at it, I would find myself with my kids in the middle of the afternoon at the beach.  Not an inch of shade in sight and I rarely pose them so I just embraced the light for what it was.  I began exposing for the highlights to create these very dramatic images full of contrast from the direct light and quickly fell in love and began incorporating this more and more into my client sessions.

For this feature I asked our Emotional Storytelling group to share their images photographed in harsh and direct light (that direct light at golden hour is unrivaled in it’s beauty!) I’m so overwhelmed with the talent they shared and apologize in advance for the length of this blog post but I there isn’t one of these images I could live without. Thank you for sharing your talent with us everyone!

Sara Jean Nino

Tayia Strain

Teri Ledgerwood

Alex Elaine

Kristina Ohl-Boyd

Amanda Leann Canton

Melissa Helmick

Amanda Palmer Camp

Amy Yenny Madson

Anita Mcleod Turner

Sara Jean Nino

Autumn Chittum-Vestal

Autumn Leigh Williamson

Teala Ward

Twyla Jones

Bri Santoro

Jessica Rasmussen

Brittany DeJesus

Candice Freeberg

Candice Sampedro Johnson

Teri Ledgerwood

Summer Hughes

Chelsea Brianna Gray Musgrove

Darla Winn

Darla Winn

Darla Winn

Darla Winn

Desra Ramey

Dawndra Budd

Dawndra Budd

Gina Santellano

Gina Santellano

Hannah Renee Miles-Smith

Teri Ledgerwood

Heather Koepp

Heather Koepp

Heather Koepp

Heather Koepp

Heather Koepp

Hollie Jeakins

Jayme Ford

Jen Morrison

Jen Morrison

Jen Morrison

Jen Morrison

Jen Morrison

Jen Morrison

Jerica Arnold

Jess Denton

Jessica Rasmussen

Jessica Rasmussen

Jodi Lynn Buckles

Kaili Echevarria

Autumn Chittum-Vestal

Kaili Echevarria

Kaili Echevarria

Katie Patterson Rickard

Katy Webb

Kayla King

Kelly Ward

Kerry Tenhave Peterson

Kinzie Tweter

Kishelle Linenko

Kristin Pope

Twyla Jones

Catherine Wynne

Kristy Westendorp

Laura Frazier

Leah Labourde

Leslie Harris

Lindsey Delisle Prosperie

Lourdes Camarillo

Margaux Lenee’ Fischer

Margaux Lenee’ Fischer

Margaux Lenee’ Fischer

Margaux Lenee’ Fischer

Leanna Campbell Azzolini

Maria Rafael

Marissela Alanis

Marissela Alanis

Marissela Alanis

Marissela Alanis

Martina Grose

Martina Krzyk

Megan Blaydes

Meredith Brunson

Ni Cole

Nicole Park

Nicoletta Ratto Petersen

Nikki Hollett

Nikki Hollett

Nikki Hollett

Ore Adesina

Rebecca Burt

Samantha Hayn

Samantha Hayn

Amina Ahmad Ford

Adrienne Comeau

Sarah Caitlin

Shannon Gray

Shannon Jones Douglas

Shay Cathleen

Steph Pate

Sue Sonnenberg

Summer Hughes

Susan Rice

Tara Parker

Tarin Hartman

Teala Ward

Theresa Sherron

Ali Limon

Alicia Abbott

Bree Friesen

Becci Ravera

Beth Cagnoni

Charlene Lambert

Cindy Johnson