The answer will always be just after sunrise or just before sunset. This time is often referred to as the "golden hour" because of the golden tones given off by the early or late day sun. If possible I try to schedule my shoots for 1.5 hours before sunset and 30 minutes after sunrise. But, that is not always possible, especially if you are shooting the morning during summer. Ain't nobody wanna do a 6:00am call time!! So, in the summer I am starting my shoots 2.5 hours after sunrise! The golden hour is not golden any more! But the trust is the early or later in the day - the better the lighting - and the better the lighting the better your pictures. So no, I am not doing to do family reunion photo at 2:00pm on Saturday.
These images were all shot in the morning, 2-3 hours after sunrise. The key is to shoot in open shade with fully populated backgrounds. All four of these locations have an abundance of tall trees to give me the shade I need to keep the light from being too harsh. Now, I am a back-lit girl, so even in these shaded areas and I am placing the subject in front of the light.
These images were all shot in the summer months. No matter the date, I start my shoots at 6:30PM in the summer months. Worst case that is 2 hours before sunset. I use trees to accentuate the light by having it filter through the leaves. (Top 2 images) YUM! The photo in the bottom lefthand corner was taken much earlier around 2:00 in the afternoon (it was a wedding...) I placed the bride at a 45 degree angle to the sun to get the gorgeous rim light on her hair with out blowing out her dress.
Come fall it is easy to schedule sessions for the golden hour, but I am still a back-lit/filtered light kinda girl! It's just the best!
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