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HOW JESSE AND MOIRA LA PLANTE SHOOT STUNNING PORTRAITS IN HARSH MIDDAY SUN
Midday sun. Every photographer's nightmare. Or is it? Colorado-based photographers Jesse and Moira La Plante have turned the harshest light of the day into some of their most striking work, and they're showing you exactly how.
HARSH LIGHT, STUNNING RESULTS: JESSE AND MOIRA LA PLANTE'S MIDDAY SUN MASTERCLASS
Most photographers dread midday sun. The shadows are unflattering, the highlights blow out and everything just looks flat and overlit. But what if that wasn't a problem? What if you knew exactly how to use that light, or work around it, to create images that look incredible regardless of when they're taken?
In this vibrant, location-based tutorial, Colorado wedding photographers Jesse and Moira La Plante take you out into the harshest conditions and show you what's possible when you know what you're doing. Showing real couples in real environments on real shoots, Jesse and Moira share the thinking, the techniques and the specific tools they rely on to turn midday light from a liability into a creative advantage.
The result? Beautiful, confident portraits that don't apologise for the conditions, because in Jesse and Moira's hands, the conditions don't matter. Whether you're shooting a destination wedding abroad or a summer wedding at home where the couple is insisting on a noon portrait session, this tutorial will make sure you're ready.
This is the tutorial that makes you stop checking the time of day and start shooting. ☀️
Top 5 Things You Will Learn
- The specific challenges of midday sun and how to overcome them: Understand exactly why harsh overhead light is so difficult, what it does to faces and skin tones, and the strategic decisions that solve these problems before they start.
- Using flash to combat harsh natural light: Learn how Jesse and Moira use off-camera flash to fill shadows, balance exposures and create directional light that flatters their subjects even in the most unforgiving conditions.
- Finding and using shade creatively: Discover how to identify and use shaded areas as a starting point, and the specific ways Jesse and Moira use these spots to create beautiful, naturally lit portraits without flash.
- Posing and direction for outdoor summer conditions: Find out the adjustments Jesse and Moira make to their posing and direction in bright conditions, including how to manage squinting, heat and discomfort while still getting genuine, joyful expressions.
- Camera settings for shooting in bright light: Learn the technical approach Jesse and Moira use to manage exposure in high-ambient light conditions, including when and how they use high-speed sync to maintain creative control.
To find out more about the wedding photography education which Moira and Jesse offer, please visit their website: https://jlaplante.com/
Jesse & Moira La Plante
Jesse and Moira La Plante are Colorado-based photographers who have been shooting weddings since 2008. They first met in the Bahamas on spring break when Jesse (allegedly) offered to buy Moira a drink at an all-inclusive resort. Shortly after that fateful trip, the pair moved to Colorado, and started the wedding photography business they swore they'd never have.
Images discussed in this tutorial
