Open Shade
Open shade has a soft quality of light, which is very different from the harshness of direct sunlight. Shadows are much more diffused, creating images with much less contrast. Open shade is a popular light for portrait and close-up photography. Colors appear more muted than the saturated hue provided by direct sunlight, but when handled well, open shade can help reveal the subtle gradations of color that exist with a subject such as a flower. Open shade helps a photographer to capture a full range of tones, with less concern about losing details in the highlight or shadows.
Recognizing the benefit of soft light
One of the most beautiful types of light to work with for available-light portraiture is open shade. I like areas of shade ...
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