Lighting is Everything: The Importance of Portrait Timing

The art of photography is entirely dependent on the use and manipulation of light. Being a natural light photographer does not mean I never use artificial light sources (ie. a flash) but prefer to use what is naturally available (ie. the sun) whenever possible. Nothing beats the sun for gorgeous, authentic portraits!

But the truth is, all sunlight is not created equal. The absolute best time for glowy and natural outdoor portraits is close to sunset or sunrise. Even though a knowledgeable photographer can make any lighting work, why not shoot for the best light anyway?!

So which is better, sunrise or sunset? Well, I love them both! They both have equally great lighting. Most clients prefer sunset though, simply because sunrise is usually super early. I’m a morning person though, so if you’re up for it, I’m up for it! It’s especially nice to do a sunrise session at locations that get busy later in the day.

Curious when exactly this would put your session time? It entirely depends on the time of year and even the forecast for the day. While as close to sunset as possible is recommended for sunny days, I personally like to move things up a little on overcast days since it gets darker sooner. Overcast light is great too for completely different reasons. Click here to check out my Blog on the different types of lighting!

But first, read on to learn more about what time is ideal for your next photo session!

Winter

During December through Mid-March the best time to schedule sessions is between 2:00-5:00pm.  However, the time changes during the month of March so that will move the start time an hour later.  

Spring

The sunset time drastically changes throughout this time of year so session times vary quite a bit. I aim for scheduling between 4:00-8:00pm, with the start time getting later as we move from April into May.

Summer

Summer shoots are the latest of the year since it stays light out for so long. The great thing about this is that 1) it’s the cooler part of the day and 2) if you have kids, they don’t have to get up for school in the morning! I like to schedule summer sessions between 5:00-9:00pm.

Fall

Again, the sunset time changes a lot during the Fall. I shoot for between 4:00-7:30 during most of September and 30 minutes to an hour earlier during October. After the first week of November, the time changes again and will shift into Winter hours (2:00-5:00pm).

I hope this helps give you an idea of how and when to schedule your next photo shoot! Contact Me if you’d like to get something on the calendar with me!