Fun Fact:
Putting a lightbulb next to your eyes is and isn't the brightest idea.
hahahaha, okay but seriously... I wanted to touch on sessions and lighting! SOOO many people send me Pinterest type photos saying I want this (below) for our session!
Gorgeous, right?! And totally achievable. However, right after they send me a photo like this, they then say, "but I can only be available at noon." Insert: Palm to the face.
Capturing a photo like this is 100% doable and not out of the question. But you cannot expect to get a photo like this at noon. This photo was taken at sunset.
Keep reading to see and learn what type of pictures are produced at different times of the day.
SUNRISE
Sunrise sessions are gorgeous and some of my favorite images come from this time of day. I rarely get to do them because who wants to get themselves and their kids ready that early in the morning?! haha. BUT, it is just one day that you would have to do this and the photos last forever so I'm going to say it's #WorthIt.
NOON
This time of my is my least favorite time of day to shoot due to barely being able to escape the shadows. The only time that I enjoy shooting at noon would be if I were taking pictures of my kids on the beach or a ball game. We were still able to get beautiful pictures during this session, but it was extraordinarily difficult because we kept being chased by the sun! You can also clearly tell this image does not necessarily fit into my norm of what I usually produce.
LATE aFTERNOON sun
The sun was starting to go down, so in this particular instance it was okay to have them stand in the sun. I also like the shadows behind them. I had my subjects put their faces together so that A. they were squinting by trying to look at me and B. there were no shadows on their faces to distract or distort in anyway. As the sun sets, the sun is passing through more atmospheric layers and it produces a softening effect vs mid-day sun.
aFTERNOON SHADE
This is probably the most popular time of day that I shoot. I definitely prefer sunrise or sunset, but this is the most popular time that I shoot due to your schedules! Life is crazy with work schedules, sports, kids, dinner, etc. Late afternoon is normally when sessions happen due to this and this "late afternoon" differs depending on the time of the year. Fall/Winter months between 3-4pm and Spring/Summer months between 5-7pm.
CLOUDY
Sometimes the afternoon summer time storms decide to roll through NC and they are inevitable. It's near impossible to reschedule every session that may have the possibility of a storm and this results in those cloudy sessions. These sessions are also beautiful in their own right and provide some beautiful skies to admire up on our walls!
SUNSET
My second favorite time of the day to take pictures! I adore the gorgeousness of a sunset and the images are rich, warm, and right up my alley. Sessions at sunset are intimate and the best time if to choose if you're wanting photos like that. These sessions would begin about an hour before the sun actually sets. Side note: their outfits are amazing and this is imperative to making or breaking a photo session!
No particular time of day is wrong to shoot over the other. It just really depends on what type of vibe you are aiming for for the photo session. I just wanted to make it clear that if you send your photographer an image from Pinterest, which is totally fine by the way, you need to listen to your photographer tell you when the best time of the day is to achieve the results that you want to achieve. With all of that said, I also would like to mention that not all photographers will just shoot during the time of day that you want - a lot of them want to maintain their own personal style and that is typically only at very limited times of day.
The next thing we need to address will be (drum roll, please) OUTFITS. Lawd have mercy outfits are crucial to the session... just as much as sunlight, your photographer, time of day, etc. I will be showing you the difference an outfit can make!
Hope your day is LIT!
xoxo,
BRITTANYSingle mom, photographer, animal lover, and honest to a fault forever. Living in Benson and I left teaching to start a creative business five years ago and hope to inspire others to believe they are capable, good, and in control of their own destiny. Not only do I speak about photography, but about mental health as I believe deeply in making your mess your message because nothing is all sunshine and rainbows. Want to know more? Click below!
