Why does your photographer prefer early morning or late afternoon for outdoor shoot?
Quite often when you book for an outdoor photography session, your photographer would recommend very early morning or near sunset time for the shoot. Those hours near sunrise and sunset are referred to ‘golden hours’ by photographers.
Here are a few snapshots (unedited) taken in my garden an hour before sunset.
The sunlight at sunrise or sunset has a soft and warm quality that is very flattering. Low angle sunlight not only softens those shadows but also brings out beautiful colours and catch light in the eyes.
On the contrary, at midday sunlight is very strong and shines down overhead casting horrible harsh shadows. The parts in the sun are often too bright and those in shadows are too dark.
This image was taken at 11.30am. Notice part of the older girl’s face is over lit and the little girl’s face is largely in dark shadows. Both girls’ eyes are dark.
So next time when you plan to take photos somewhere nice, try going out a bit early or take a late afternoon walk. This is why winter time is the best – no need to get out of the bed too early!
Here are a few more images taken before sunset (edited to taste).