How do you guys handle harsh sunlight in camera?

I did a session last week and the sun was quite bright. The images don't look bad by any means...but I think they could be better. Here's an example...




This is after burning and painting in PS.

I prefer using a reflector to fill in the shadows

or, if youve got the 5in1 reflector kit, then you can use the middle diffuser panel to diffuse the light - it sometimes doesnt work because of angle of light etc, and you need some help to hold it in place, but if its not working then you can use it as a reflector as well

Any ideas for inside the camera? I want to be able to shoot under any condition and know what I'm doing well enough to get the shot. And I don't like dragging around a lot of equipment. I just want to really understand my camera.

You can simply back light your subject instead of side lighting them... that's what i do when I don't have a diffuser handy...

This looks even better if you just bring a tiny reflector and have someone bounce some light back onto their face... or you can use off camera fill flash... Those are both really tiny to carry around to enhance an image.

Something else to consider is to simply be careful about the time of day in which you shoot. If I client asks for a session anytime between 11 am - 4 pm (depending on the time of year) I let them know that the light is not flattering during those times. And even 11 am is pushing it. I like to start by 9 am at the latest and finish (in the shade) around 11.

Clients are not sensitive to the sun and how it behaves so we have to teach them. People just see a bright blue sky and think, "What a gorgeous day." Well, not for us.

In addition to using the sun as a backlight (as Kadie mentioned) you can also make a virtue of it and feature the sun in your shot. I love to shoot kids while they're running toward the camera (with me running away from them holding the camera along the grass) and very often I will shoot into the sun to get a great flare.

Available shade is key. Looks like there were some trees in the background. The shadow cast from surrounding elements. Depending on the position of the sun, you can angle the subject behind the light. Above all else, never schedule your sessions at high noon...too bright. The mornings (6-10) and afternoons (3-6) are best.

I backlight my subjects that way the tone on the skin has even lighting:
Here's a shoot I did in the middle of the day around noonish time (see the last four images of girl in dress in field) in the middle of an open field.

http://yunnaphotos.blogspot.com/2007/09/ar...-but-still.html

Of course I echo everyone's sentiments on reflectors, diffusers and shade as well

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to do this in camera because the camera does not see lighting the same way as we do. If you shoot a raw file and expose the highlights correctly, you can pull the shadow details back to some extent, although it often requires a fair bit of post production( try Lightzone).
The best answer is to use reflectors/diffusers, fill flash or moving position to control the lighting.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I really appreciate it. You gave me some great ideas.

Yun, those images are just beautiful. Very unique. Thanks for sharing. I'm adding your blog to my favorites list.

Matt, can you show an example of the "kids running towards you, you running away, grass" thing?

I like to backlight then throw in off camera light so it gets a surreal look. You said you don't want to do too much with equipment but learning to master backlighting is the start of doing this look. Probably not what you want for kid shots but you can soften it up too; my avatar is also backlit-- put the light to the side to make a more natural look.