Even with lots and lots of sunlight, the lighting in your outdoor photographs might not be hunky-dory because outdoor illumination can be very harsh — especially on the beach or in snow scenes. Try these photographic techniques:

• In bright daylight, try to position yourself so that your subject is lit from the front. However, if you're photographing a person, take care that your subject is not staring directly into the sunlight.

Remember: The sun is lower in the sky in the winter and at dusk, so having the sun directly behind you can lead to squinty subjects.

• Avoid positions that cause dark shadows to obscure faces or important parts of your subject.
• If you can, position subjects so they're illuminated by the soft diffused light of the shadows of a tree or building.
• Don't try to capture detail in both shadowed areas (for example, under a tree) and brightly lit areas in the same photograph.
• Wait until a cloud passes in front of the sun to provide softer, more flattering light for human subjects. Slightly overcast days are even better!