Hot sun - crashing waves - harsh shadows - bikinis<?>

[OptiKen]

"Mad dogs and English men go out in the noon day sun"
This sunday I am planning on going to the San Clemente pier for a little photography and possibly pier fishing. It is supposed to be hot and bright sun. I will be looking to photograph waves (pinhole?), pilings, seagulls, harsh shadows and people. At least, that is what I will find there and I will have a medium format camera, 35mm, tripod, and a 4x5 pinhole camera. I'm thinking of IR in the 35mm, paper and litho film in the pinhole, and maybe an ISO 50 or 100 in the medium format. If I take the Graflex 2X3, it will be ASA100. If I take the Autocord or C330, it will probably be ISO 50.

What would you take (assuming you absolutely have to shoot in the bright sun) and what would you be looking for?

 

[BrianShaw]

I'd be looking for the big guy who might kick you in the face for taking pictures of his bikini. I'd take as little as possible. Better to go light so you can run fast!

 

[OptiKen]

I'd be looking for the big guy who might kick you in the face for taking pictures of his bikini. I'd take as little as possible. Better to go light so you can run fast!

I'll keep that in mind...thank you

 

[tedr1]

Perhaps the challenge is choosing the camera location, cropping and lens focal length combinations which allow the shadows to contribute to the picture, rather than distract from it, which is what usually happens in bright sun. I rarely make pictures in bright sun, except for large scale landscapes where sunlight is contributing small local shadows.

There are probably two approaches, one is to use the portable SLR so that you can move your point of view quickly, change orientation to suit the composition and change lens focal length for the same reason, this is the "shotgun" approach. The other approach is perhaps the opposite, the intense study of just a single a composition that may take some time, possibly better suited to the tripod.

I seem to recall bright sunlight is not friendly to dark-slides and bellows that are not in perfect condition, this might push me towards the 35mm.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Okay, now I'm pissed. Bikinis promised and NOT delivered. ARGH!!!!

 

[Slixtiesix]

I would take something in the 25-100 ISO range, lens shade and a yellow filter. Polarizer if you do colour work.

 

[NB23]

Only SFX200+092 filter
Or fomapan 400 (arista edu 400) + 092 filter.

Magical results every time.