“What is the best time of day to get pictures taken?”
Most of my clients have asked me this question at some point in time. Many have been slightly taken off guard when I tell them we should meet at 7pm during the summer months. “But isn’t it almost dark at that time?” YES! Almost…but not quite! One hour before sunset or after sunrise are the most ideal times to get out there and shoot. The sun is not high above you, creating a multitude of shadows on your face. The glow of the sky casts such warm depth across the entire image. The haziness that takes over the picture sets the mood for such love and connection between the subjects.
Golden hour is a fleeting moment, especially when doing a portrait session, and it is a time of constantly changing light. Shooting during golden hour requires that settings are changed frequently, and it can be easy to spend too much time on the technical details and to not have time for the artistry. Be aware of this if you book a golden hour session, and roll with your photographer’s workflow to ensure you get the shots needed to complete your session!
“It’s cloudy outside…should we reschedule?”
No way! Contrary to popular belief, cloudy days are PERFECT for photoshoots! The cloud coverage acts as a natural soft box for the sun, creating an even light distribution all around. Instead of having to worry about finding a shady area on a sunny day, you are able to shoot at any location, at any time- as long as it is cloudy! It gives such creative freedom to the photographer, and the time flexibility is always nice for clients. “Golden hour” doesn’t really exist on a cloudy day, but that does not mean a beautiful set of images is impossible to achieve! I’m a HUGE fan of a cloudy day session.