When you're looking for areas to place your subjects, I know that some people look for backgrounds first and if they light is not ideal, they try to use devices to "fix" the irregular light. My mantra is one needs to "find" the light first then decide where to place the subjects so you have a good background.
I've seen many a photo with sun splotches on the body or the face because the photographer selected the background without regard to the location of the light source. In this case, the light source was behind the camera position making it about 1:00 high in FRONT of the subjects resulting in the splotchy light here. That does not make a good photo. So what does one do?
Like some of the photos that I've seen, the photographer tries to use a flash unit to add a "fill flash" on the subjects with the intent of filling in the darker areas of the image. That can work IF your flash unit is strong enough to be as bright as the sun spots. That however does not usually work because the strength of the sunlight will be way brighter than most small flash units.
A simpler, easier way? Reverse your positions so at camera position the light source is in FRONT of you and BEHIND your subjects. Now the sun is at 1:00 in FRONT of the camera and your subjects are in the backlight. Granted, the light has changed but there's no major extraneous light on the subject's faces which is the effect that for me, is preferable.
Don't look for the background. Look for the LIGHT and then select your background. My favorite term to use when the client suggests the background and I see all kinds of issues with the light. "Sure, we can try that" while at the same time, I'll do another set of photos where I feel the light is more ideal. Or, once in a while I'll say "the light sucks."
The purpose of this post is to hopefully make one understand that it's NOT showing you where the light should be but where one should be LOOKING at the light before taking the photo and adjusting your camera position to FIND better light.
