You don’t need a professional camera to take stunning photos. One of the most powerful elements you can use—both creatively and decoratively—is right above your head: the sun. Whether you’re capturing everyday life or dramatic landscapes, learning how to work with sunlight can turn your mobile photography from simple snapshots into visually captivating art.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use the sun as a decorative element in your photos using just your phone. You’ll discover how sunlight adds character, emotion, and natural beauty to your images—and how to make it work for you.

Why Use the Sun as a Decorative Element?

The sun isn’t just a source of light—it’s a compositional tool. In photography, sunlight can be used to:

• Frame your subject
• Add warmth and atmosphere
• Create glowing edges and outlines
• Produce stunning silhouettes
• Introduce artistic lens flares and rays
• Add depth through shadows and highlights

When used with intention, the sun becomes more than just a light source—it becomes a storytelling feature in your image.

Choosing the Right Time of Day

Light changes throughout the day, and each time window gives your photos a different feel.

Golden Hour (1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sunset)

This is when the sun is low and casts a warm, soft light. It’s ideal for:

• Portraits with glowing skin tones
• Landscapes with enhanced colors
• Creating a dreamy atmosphere

Midday

Sunlight is strongest and most direct. While it can be harsh, it’s perfect for:

• Capturing crisp shadows
• Playing with contrast and structure
• Shooting dramatic black-and-white photos

Sunset & Sunrise

This light is dramatic and colorful. The sun hangs near the horizon, which helps:

• Create silhouettes
• Highlight the sky’s natural gradient
• Add emotion and storytelling

Blue Hour (right before sunrise or just after sunset)

This twilight zone gives your photos a cool, muted tone, perfect for peaceful or reflective shots.

Techniques to Use the Sun in Your Mobile Photos

1. Use the Sun as a Background Accent

Position the sun slightly behind your subject and off to the side. This will give a gentle glow and naturally draw the eye through the image.

Pro Tip: Tap on your subject to set focus and reduce exposure to avoid over-bright spots.

2. Create Silhouettes with Sunlight

Put your subject directly in front of the sun, then expose for the bright sky. This makes the subject go dark and the background stay bright—perfect for dramatic or symbolic photos.

Great for: people, trees, animals, or bold architectural shapes.

3. Capture Natural Sun Flares

Let a bit of sunlight peek through trees, fingers, or windows. Your phone’s lens will create beautiful rays or light circles, adding energy and creativity.

Tip: Keep your lens clean and experiment with angles. Move slightly and watch how the flare changes.

4. Play with Shadows

Use strong sunlight to cast shadows and reflections. Shoot the shadows themselves for artistic abstraction, or use them to lead the eye through the image.

Examples:

• A shadow of a fence across a sidewalk
• Tree leaves casting lace-like patterns on a wall
• The silhouette of a hand on a bright surface

5. Use Sun Position for Framing

Frame the sun using objects like trees, windows, doorways, or hands. Let the sun peek out just enough to highlight edges and textures, creating a natural focal point.

This gives a sense of structure and visual layering to otherwise simple scenes.

Tips for Taking Better Sun Photos with Your Phone

• Turn on Grid Lines: Use the rule of thirds to place the sun slightly off-center.
• Lock Exposure: Tap and hold on the screen to lock exposure and focus. Then drag your finger to adjust brightness.
• Shoot in HDR Mode: This helps preserve both bright skies and darker foregrounds.
• Take Multiple Shots: Light changes fast—especially at sunrise and sunset. Snap several shots to capture the best one.
• Edit with Intent: Slight adjustments to warmth, highlights, and contrast can make the sun’s impact even more powerful.

Editing Tips for Sun-Filled Photos

Once you’ve captured your photo, a few small edits can help emphasize the sunlight even more.

Use apps like:

• Snapseed: Great for adjusting selective areas, like bringing out shadows or toning down highlights.
• Lightroom Mobile: Ideal for fine-tuning light temperature, shadows, and texture.
• VSCO or Afterlight: Use filters to boost warmth or add nostalgic vibes.

Try These Edits:

• Increase warmth to emphasize golden light
• Lower highlights if the sky is too bright
• Boost contrast to sharpen silhouettes or flares
• Add a slight vignette to draw attention to the sun’s position

Creative Prompts: Practice Ideas

Looking for inspiration? Here are simple prompts that make the sun a decorative feature:

• Take a photo of the sun coming through your window curtain
• Capture a person reaching for the sun with their hand
• Photograph a coffee cup backlit by morning light
• Snap your shadow during a walk
• Find reflections of the sun in water, glass, or mirrors

Final Thoughts

When you start thinking of the sun as a creative element rather than just a source of light, your photography changes. You’ll begin noticing how it moves, how it shapes shadows, and how it warms up every photo it touches.

The beauty of sunlight is that it’s always available, always shifting, and always inspiring. With your cell phone in hand and a curious eye, you can turn everyday moments into striking visual stories.

So go ahead—step into the light, explore different angles, and let the sun decorate your next photo.