But while it’ssafeadvice, it makes for very flat photos.

In one building, we see a direct reflection of the sun itself.

In the next tall building to the right, we see a beautiful vertical shaft of reflected sunlight.

Coffee mug on a candle warmer.

In this example, the woman is lt from a street lamp which is above and to her right.

It elevates a snapshot of a pet into a far more interesting composition.

Note that you may initially find the dark areas of your shot either lookverydark, or lacking in detail.

Rockbox on an iPod Nano

What you want to do is boost the Shadows value.

On the iPhone, for example, tap the edit button and then the Adjust icon.

Then scroll through to the Shadows button and slide right or up to lighten the dark areas.

Be Quiet CPU cooler with RGB RAM and PC fan inside a gaming computer.

The Sun High in the Sky

This is the most extreme example.

A clear sky and the sun pointing directly into the camera lens.

Don’t ever look directly into the sun.

A dancer silhoutted against a sunrise in Washington DC.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Don’t use an optical viewfinder for these types of shots.

This is another example of the same effect, this time of New York’s Flatiron building.

Sun Through Trees

Shooting the sun through tree branches can often create a really beautiful effect.

Light behind the camera, reflected in buildings at sunrise.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Just experiment with moving the camera around behind the trees to find the most pleasing angle for these.

Again, a very slight change in your position makes a big difference.

Because we want to capture clean edges, it’s best to shoot this at sunrise or sunset.

Atlanta’s SkyView wheel, with the warmth of the sun reflected in the capsule and the skyline behind it.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

To take these shots, you will likely need to reduce the exposure.

you might finddetailed instructions for iPhones here, and it’s similar on Android phones.

If you might position your subject in that beam of light, it can look really dramatic.

Rembrandt lighting seen in a studio photograph.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

This first example was taken inside a small shopping mall with a skylight, creating a small lit area.

I then positioned my subject in this light.

Both the fountain and her hair are beautifully lit from above and stand out well against the shadows behind.

Side lighting example, with a street lamp illuminating her from top right.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Similarly, this was a blue-lit perspex wall in a bar.

As with everything in photography, experimentation is key, so play around and have fun!

A cat lit from the side, with the rest of the room in shadow.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Shadows created from pillars and sunlight to the left.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Shadows adjustment on the iPhone.

Shooting into the light, the sun high in the sky.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

The sun peeking out from behind a building in London’s Shad Thame.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Sun peeking out from behind Ne York’s Flatiron building.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

A starburst effect as a sunset is shot through tree branches.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

The sun shot through tree branches while higher in the sky.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Reflected sunlight on brickwork with the sun mostly hidden.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

A dancer silhoutted against a sunrise in Washington DC.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

Another view of the same dancer silhoutted.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

A woman lit from above by a shaft of light.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

A dancer lit from above, with a fountain behind her.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

A woman’s face bathed in green light from a sculpture.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek

A woman’s face close to a blue-lit perspex wall in a bar.

Ben Lovejoy / How-To Geek