On the sunny side of the streets

Photo provided to Shanghai Star

Sweltering summer days are not often conducive to taking photos, especially those of people. Strong sunlight can create dark and unflattering shadows on the face. But in the eyes of photographer Lian Jinian, shafts of sunlight through the branches of trees and dappled light on the ground and walls are the perfect backdrops for wonderful shots.

Lian made good use of light and shadow in the portraits she shot of her friend in Chongqing last August with a Pantax ME-super camera, using Sunny 100 fi lm.

"Strong spots can easily spoil the photos, but sometimes you need to break the rules and inject a little creativity into your shots," she says.

She says the key is to pay attention to the shapes of the shadows on people's faces.

"Slightly adjust the position of the model until the spots on the face achieve the  effect you like the most."

Sunlight-dappled paths and walls also make great backgrounds for portraits, she says.

Besides being a lot of fun, it is a good way to learn the rules of composition and proper exposure techniques.