One of the most important aspects to understand as a photographer, is that light has different qualities.
Midday is obviously the worst time to shoot.
This is because the sun is directly overhead, casting harsh shadows on everything.
However, the overall light will still look harsh.
The larger the light source, the softer the light.
There are several options that will make all the difference.
The first (and one of the cheapest) is the shoot-through umbrella.
This will help you light the subject more than the background.
(Captured with LumiQuest Softbox LTp on Sb-900 during bike trip in Moab, UT.
Set 1-foot from Athletes face and to the left slightly.
