Have you ever wondered why photographer’s love sunsets? Why they really really try to convince you not to shoot during middle of the day? Have you had your session done in the middle of the day and the photos are not giving the same energy as you would have hoped ? Well that’s why light plays such an important role in your photos and it’s not your job as a client to think about the light – it’s our job as photographers to direct and tell you what are the best times to book your session for. You only have to keep your mind open to possibilities and maybe some changes to your timeline if possible.

We will start off with early morning and end with an hour after sunrise, so you really get the idea of the different lighting scenarios. Note – this is applicable for outdoor sessions, as for indoor session you have other factors that play a role and you have the easier option of using artificial light.

Sunrise

Sunrise is such a beautiful time to shoot your photos as the light is soft, magical and an added bonus -there are no other people there staring at you while you get your photos taken. This is also the hardest time to have your session though, as you really need to get up early to catch that light and you have maybe 1-1.5h of good light.

Still waiting for that one client who would want to go shoot during sunrise. Here are some examples from a morning adventure I did during the summer.

Midday

Midday light, a time of horror for most photographers, this light is very hard to work with especially if you are lacking of shady spots. You may ask why? Isn’t the light the brightest and will light your photos well?

Not really, as the sun is the highest in the sky it can create shadows that can be quite unflattering. When you book a session with a photographer, your main goal is to have beautiful moments captured on camera, but you also want to look your best.

With the midday light it can fall on you directly and create dark shadows under your eyes – no one wants to look like a raccoon on their photos. That’s why you might see your photographer trying to find more spots in the shade to make sure you look like yourself in the photos. 🙂

Midday light isn’t always bad, as its very bright, it can create very dramatic looking images and some photographers actually prefer the style. Me, I like to avoid midday light outside, but I love how bright light can create interesting lighting and shadows indoors.

Midday light is cool and creates a very different vibe for your photos so you have to take that into account when booking a session for that time.

Evening

When we are talking about evening light then I mean everything after 17-18:00. This time is honestly perfect to take photos as the sun is still bright, but it’s a lot lower, so that means different buildings, trees or other things can block the direct light, creating a softer look. This is also a good time to start getting some backlight images – you know, those images where you look like you have a glow around you.

Evening is actually a perfect time to shoot as it’s not too late in the day, the light is great and you don’t necessarily get that sunset look.

Ideally I prefer actually shooting during this time, as there are a lot of options that I can use and I can give my clients different looking photos.

Looking at these photos you can see how different the look can be with the evening light. You can get amazing backlight that frames you and creates this amazing halo around you, but the light is a lot harsher and can create shadows.

Sunset

We photographers love to call sunset Golden Hour – the time when the light is the most golden and flattering. This is the dream time to shoot photos as the colours are amazing, the light is soft and flattering, the mood is romantic.. What else would you want from your couples session?

I LOOOVEEE shooting during golden hour, especially my couple sessions!! Think about it – the beach, sunset, you and your partner sitting on a picnic blanket and drinking some light wine. Sounds like it’s gonna look like it’s straight out of pinterest in my opinion.

Looking at these photos there is also a difference in colour for sunset and sunset. The sunset we shoot in can be red or more orange, so it’s really up to the nature which sunset you get.

Blue Hour

Have you ever stayed out after sunset and seen those beautiful bluish tones? Well, that is the blue hour – it’s an hour after the sun has set, when the light is super super soft, it’s a bit darker but the colouring is very magical. Kind of bluish, but it can give you some magical looking photos. As blue hour can be at a late hour during the summer, I get why most people will feel like that is not for them.

The lack of blue hour photo sessions is so sad, but this is why I will just use a photo from my personal album to show you what the light looks like.

My favourite time to shoot

As a photographer you don’t always have the luxury of picking the time you want to shoot at, especially with weddings or family sessions, so i like to work with what I have. For the times when my clients ask me what do I recommend and what time would be the best, I will forever be telling them sunset or like 1-2h before sun sets. The best light is just so good, makes your photos feel more magical and it’s especially great if we can stay like 15 minutes into the blue hour – that is my ideal shoot!