Overcoming Midday Sun for a Midnight Look
Hey, Jon here! And if we’re talking about lighting today, you know Erica is nowhere near this conversation. 😉
On a recent AZ brand photography shoot, we faced a unique challenge—our client needed a photo that looked like it was taken at midnight, but we were shooting from 10 AM to 2 PM in Phoenix’s brutal sunlight.
This wasn’t just any client; this was Kate, the powerhouse behind The Goodlife Institute (ranked #488 on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list). We were crushing this shoot with Kate showcasing her as an accomplished authority, warm and welcoming presence, and hitting on certain brand messages key to her marketing (ie: the board room doesn’t have to be a lonely place).
Her ad team threw us a last-minute request:
🚗 A candid, almost paparazzi-style shot of Kate in the back of a luxury car
🌙 At night
☀️ While we were stuck shooting in the middle of the day
Here’s the photo inspiration they sent us:
With no studio, limited time, and the Arizona sun blazing, we had to get creative fast. Here’s exactly how we pulled it off!
Finding the Perfect Location
One of the biggest lessons in brand photography is that you have to be adaptable.
To make this shot feel like nighttime, our first step was finding a location that blocked out as much sunlight as possible.
Since renting a studio wasn’t an option for this one-off shot, we found a parking garage and positioned ourselves on the middle level—dark enough to cut out most ambient light, but still big enough to fit a Lincoln Navigator inside.
✅ Problem solved… or so we thought.
The parking garage was filling up fast thanks to downtown events, and we only had 30 minutes left before wrapping the shoot. We had to work fast and keep it simple to get the shot.
Brand Photography Lighting Tips: Off-Camera Flash to the Rescue
To create the nighttime effect, we needed to completely control the light. Here’s how we did it:
📷 Camera Settings: ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/160 shutter speed
⚡ Off-Camera Lighting Setup: A single flash, mounted on a telescopic painting pole
💡 Light Modification: We held a collapsed diffusion fabric reflector in front of the flash head to soften the light
This quick, scrappy setup allowed us to make the scene feel like it was photographed in the middle of the night even though it was the middle of the day, while still keeping Kate looking polished and professional.
🚨 PRO TIP: This is a perfect example of why off-camera lighting is a game-changer for brand photographers. Natural light is beautiful, but knowing how to create your own light in any situation gives you complete creative control.
Final Shots & Takeaways
Here’s what we got for the final shots:
What do you think? Did we nail the vision? Would you have done things differently? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!
This last-minute challenge reinforced some key lessons for brand photographers:
💡 Creative challenges are growth opportunities. The best photographers are problem-solvers first.
⚡ You don’t need fancy gear. A simple flash and a diffusion reflector were all we needed!
🎯 Adaptability wins. Your ability to pivot under pressure will set you apart.
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