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The most common condition of natural light is a sun with a clear sky, without the effect of clouds and weather, the light is to be expected throughout the day.
We know that the 'arc of sunlight depends on the season and latitude, with the light levels increase with the height of the position of the sun rising in the morning and set in the evening, but that is quite stable in the middle of the day . The maximum brightness is when the sun is about 40 degrees from the horizon and the time left .... in this position also varies depending on season and latitude.
While in winter it never reaches this position, the tropics remains for 7 hours, in the summer to a middle latitude, up to 8 hours. On a winter day, in Europe and North America, the light levels vary continuously from dawn to dusk in summer, in the middle of the day, remain fairly stationary.

The atmosphere scatters the light

The atmosphere attenuates the 'intensity of light is stronger at higher altitudes; disperses also certain wavelengths selectively, especially those found in the blue spectrum (the shortest). This dispersive effect of the light determines the color of sky blue and the red of the sun.
During sunrise and sunset, when the sun is slanting through a layer of atmosphere undergoing greater dispersion maximum, the sky tends to be colored red. Depending on the place and date, the effect of the atmosphere can cause the sunrise and sunset variations of color ranging from yellow to red.

The blue color and brightness of the sky (skylight) are totally weak compared to direct sunlight reflecting that their effect is felt only in subjects in the shade. Moreover, in a particularly clear day, a further problem is posed by the elements surrounding the subject, reflecting colored light, and the shaded areas: green lawns, walls of buildings, etc. ..

The sky as a photo studio

In many respects, the clear sky on a clear sunny day is like a huge studio, where the sun is the only source of light and sky blue color surrounding a reflecting surface.
Objects, be they buildings, people or landscapes are illuminated directly by the reflection of blue sky.
During the middle of the day, when the sun is high, it is often the blue sky and the person who hit by sunlight reflected (for example the roof of a building).
On a clear day light in the scene and there is photographic accuracy of detail in both shadows and in bright areas that would not happen on a cloudy day.

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