Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Robi and this is Wander Frame! Today I’m sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks for handling the four most common lighting conditions you’ll face during the day while travelling: harsh midday sun, golden hour, cloudy overcast, and blue hour.

Whether you’re shooting street scenes, portraits, or just want to come home with better travel photos, these tips will help you handle whatever the sky throws at you.

1. Harsh Midday Sun: Embrace the Drama

Midday sun gets a bad reputation because, let’s be honest, it’s not easy to shoot in. Most of your images won’t look great straight out of the camera. But there are a couple of ways I like to approach harsh light:

Find shade: This works best for planned shots — like portraits of your friends, partner, or pet. If you want a clean, flattering shot, look for a shaded area.
Chase the shadows: If you’re out on the street and can’t move your subject, look for interesting shadow patterns or lines created by the harsh light. Position your subject in the bright part, and let the shadows create drama and contrast.

Sometimes, you just have to accept the light for what it is. Try switching your camera to black and white mode and go for more abstract compositions.

Pro tip: If you can, plan your city shoots for midday and save landscapes or portraits for golden hour.

2. Golden Hour: The Photographer’s Playground

Golden hour is probably every photographer’s favorite time of day. The light is soft, warm, and just magical — whether it’s sunrise or sunset. Even though some say it’s overrated, there’s no denying that some of the most epic photos ever taken were shot at golden hour.

Here are my three favorite ways to use golden hour light:

Backlit shots: Put your subject in front of the sun. You’ll either get a cool silhouette or, if the sun isn’t too strong or is off to the side, a beautiful rim light.
Long shadows: Use the long, dramatic shadows as leading lines or patterns in your composition.
Soft front/side lighting: Position yourself so the light softly hits your subject from the front or side. This gives you pleasing, gentle shadows without harsh lines.

3. Cloudy & Overcast: The “Boring” Light That’s Actually Useful

I’ll be honest: I’m not a fan of cloudy, overcast days. But when you’re travelling, you can’t control the weather — so you might as well make the most of it!

Perfect for portraits: Overcast light is super even, so both your subject and the background will be well-exposed. No harsh highlights or deep shadows.
Get creative with composition: Since the light isn’t the star of the show, now’s the time to play with leading lines, framing, and different angles. Try shooting from above, below, or through windows and arches.
Look for reflections: If it’s just rained, you’ll find more reflections and punchier colours — perfect for street photography.

4. Blue Hour: Cool, Calm, and Urban

Blue hour happens right after sunset or just before sunrise. It’s a short window, but the deep blue sky and city lights can make for some stunning photos.

Cityscapes: Find spots where the city lights are just coming on and use them to create atmospheric shots.

Portraits with bokeh: Use those city lights as blurred backgrounds for moody, urban portraits.

Extra Tips for Every Lighting Condition

Use a longer lens (50mm or 85mm): Especially in harsh light, this helps you focus on abstract compositions and avoid distracting backgrounds.
Edit for contrast: In harsh light, embrace the high contrast — darken the shadows, brighten the highlights.
Try film simulations: If you’re shooting with a Fujifilm camera, try the Nostalgic Negative simulation and tweak the highlight/shadow settings.
Black mist filter: This can soften harsh light, make golden hour even dreamier, and add a mystical glow to city lights at blue hour. Try a 1/4 or 1/8 strength filter.
Faster lens for blue hour: If you want to freeze action in low light, a lens with a wide aperture (f/2 or faster) is your friend. Otherwise, use a tripod and embrace the motion blur!

Conclusion

While travelling, you’ll definitely run into all these lighting conditions — sometimes all in one day! Knowing a few tips for each scenario means you’ll spend less time stressing about your photos and more time enjoying the moment.

If you have your own favorite tricks, or if you try any of these tips on your next trip, let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading! If you found this helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, comment, and like. See you in the next adventure!

Want more travel photography tips? Follow me on Instagram @wfs_wanderframe or check out my other guides on my youtube channel!

How to Master Light in Photography While Travelling – Daytime