Tricks for Tricky Lighting - How to Take Great Photos even in Bad Light

Send us a text

Harsh midday highlights, blinding backlight, gloomy overcast, barely-there dawn… and full-on darkness. In this episode of The Wild Photographer, Court breaks down five common lighting scenarios that routinely present challenges for even experienced shooters—and gives you practical, field-tested fixes for each. 

From when to lean into the shadows, to when to under-expose, to the advantages of black-and-white photography, you’ll get settings, positioning tips, and creative pivots you can use on your very next outing.

What you’ll learn

• How to tame harsh midday light with even lighting, B&W conversions, fast shutters, and deep depth of field (hello, f/22 starbursts).
• Smart ways to handle backlighting: underexpose to protect highlights, pivot your position to remove sky, or embrace high-key silhouettes.
• Low-light playbook for golden hour: fast glass vs. slower zooms, workable shutter rules with IBIS, intentional motion blur, and when to “shoot dark.”
• Why flat, cloudy light is secretly great—and how to add shape and depth with composition, shallow DOF, and selective post work.
• A simple, repeatable night wildlife recipe (spot metering + auto ISO + shallow aperture + slight underexposure) that actually works.

Chapter markers

• 00:00 – Welcome & Episode Setup: Five “tricky light” scenarios you’ll face in the field.
• 02:05 – Sponsors & Resources: Art Storefronts overview + Lensrentals promo; YouTube & blog pointers.
• 06:30 – Harsh Midday Light: Seek even light; when to go black & white; leverage F11–F22 and ultra-fast shutters; birds-in-flight at noon.
• 14:55 – Backlighting: Why highlights are hard to recover; underexpose a touch, use spot metering, minimize sky by changing your angle/elevation; creative high-key looks.
• 23:40 – Low Light / Golden Hour: Start at widest aperture; practical shutter targets with/without IBIS; widen out if needed; intentional motion blur & panning; purposefully underexpose for mood.
• 34:10 – Flat, Cloudy Light: Even light advantages; watch for edge-of-cloud transitions; add depth via background distance and shallow DOF; post tweaks (contrast, clarity, dehaze).
• 42:45 – Night Wildlife: The simple settings stack; why spot metering + underexposure isolates the subject and keeps the scene clean.
• 49:30 – Wrap-Up & Next Steps: Recap, podcast reviews, where to find Court’s portfolio and videos.

Court's Websites

• Check out Court’s photo portfolio here: shop.courtwhelan.com
• Sign up for Court's photo, conservation and travel blog at www.courtwhelan.com
• Follow Court on YouTube (@courtwhelan) for more photography tips
• View Court's personal and recommended camera gear

Sponsors and Promo Codes:

• ArtStorefronts.com - Mention this podcast for free photo website design.
• LensRentals.com - WildPhoto15 for 15% off
• ShimodaDesigns.com - Whelan10 for 10% off
• Arthelper.Ai - Mention this podcast for a 6 month free trial of Pro Version
• AG1 - Daily (and Travel) Nutrition (use link for free travel packs and other goodies)