But took my Nikon D3500 out at 1 p.m. today to try sunny 16 like a few of you recommended, but at ISO 100, f/16, 1/125 the sky still clips and faces go raccoon — should I bias a stop or spot meter and backlight instead? Building on your tips about practicing in harsh light, how would you tweak settings or position in open shade vs full sun?
And at noon the sun’s a blowtorch — set -0.7 to -1 EV at ISO 100, f/16 and ‘expose for the highlights’ so the sky doesn’t clip, then lift shadows in RAW. In open shade, backlight the subject, spot meter the face, and open up around f/5.6–f/8 at the same ISO, or turn on Active D-Lighting if you’re shooting JPEG, @OP. Do you have a small reflector (or white shirt) to bounce a bit of fill under the eyes?
On my D3500, I treat “sunny 16” at 1 p.m. as a starting point and then ride the shutter using the playback highlight warnings — go faster until cheeks stop blinking, even if the sky still does. In open shade I’m often around f/8–f/11, but in full sun I land near f/16 with 1/200 and put the subject just inside shade facing a bright sidewalk or wall to kick fill into the eyes. If the sky matters, compose a bit off the sun so it calms down, otherwise prioritize the face.