The Best Time Of Day For An Outdoor Family Photo Session
It’s that time again! Summer is here and outdoor family photo sessions are in full swing. I love getting outside for family sessions…and Chicago has so many great locations for photo shoots.
I mainly offer two times of the day for my outdoor sessions…morning around 9-10am, and later in the day, about an hour before sunset (golden hour). I am willing to do other times if my clients really prefer it, but these two times are beneficial for a couple of reasons that I will explain here.
Why I Skip Mid-day Photo Sessions
First off, there are a couple reasons why I don’t do mid-day sessions….if it’s a day with full sun, the light is directly overhead and very harsh. I don’t prefer shooting in that light, as it is not only unflattering for my clients, but it completely changes the look and style of my photography. Yes, it’s possible to find shade but if we’re in a park and there are lots of trees, the light tends to be more uneven and dappled coming in from above, and I find the greens reflect more off the skin of my subjects…especially kids because they tend have lighter skin.
In addition to that, kids have a really hard time with bright sun…it can cause them to close their eyes, rub their eyes (making them red), scrunch their faces, and get irritable pretty quickly. In my opinion it’s just best to avoid that time.
Morning Photo Sessions
A session in the morning is usually a great time for kids. They are rested, have eaten breakfast and are good to go. I can be flexible with arranging a morning time to go along with little ones nap schedules too, so if it needs to be a little earlier we can definitely work that out.
The light in the morning is better than mid-day because it’s not shining directly overhead. It’s coming in from an angle which makes it much easier to photograph. It’s also a little softer because the light is traveling through more of the Earth’s atmosphere at that time, making the shadows on faces less harsh.
That said, I don’t shoot directly in the sun...I will find areas with trees or bushes to position my families near, to get them in the shade…or sometimes depending on where the sun is, I will just have them turn their backs to the sun so that their faces are in shadow.
Ideally, a session right after sunrise would be the perfect time in the morning for a session, but I will be honest…I am not a morning person and that is way too early for me! Ha. I am good for anything 8am and later!
See the photos below for examples of morning light where I positioned my subjects in the shade of trees and bushes. The family was under big trees that provided lots of shade, and the little girl had her back to the sun and the bush was providing some shade as well.
Golden Hour Photo Sessions
My favorite time for outdoor family sessions? Yep, you guessed it…golden hour.
The light is beautiful…it’s golden and pink. It’s very soft because of the angle of the sun at that time (remember what I said about the light traveling through the atmosphere?) and because of that it creates perfect shadows.
The light is gorgeous and I love the way it hits my subjects during this time. I also like shooting into the sunset to get some nice sun flares. To me it just adds something creative and artsy to the photos.
The timing of these sessions can be tough for families with little ones…during the summer this falls between 7-8:30pm, and during the fall it’s right around dinnertime. So for my families that really want a golden hour session, I tell them to try to get their kids to nap a little later than usual, or have some downtime before the session. Dinner can be a little earlier, or a little later…if you’re pushing dinner back a bit to accommodate for a golden hour session, give them a snack before the shoot, or bring some dry, clean snacks to have on hand during the shoot.
Cloudy Days
I think it is a common misconception amongst people that are not photographers that sunny days are best for photo sessions. In my opinion, and for my style, they absolutely are not. I have had many clients ask to reschedule for a sunnier day, but that is not ever necessary or preferred by me.
Aside from Golden Hour, I prefer clouds to sun ONE HUNDRED percent. I love the look that a cloudy day gives photos, and I actually get excited when I wake up to find it’s going to be cloudy that day for a session.
Basically the clouds act as a natural diffuser for the sun. It spreads the light particles out, making it much softer and easier to photograph. It creates perfect light and shadows on faces in my opinion, and skin colors look perfect too.
Most of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken have been on cloudy days, both inside and outside. I just think it adds a nice to depth to the images.
As always, I am here to help you plan your session. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns regarding timing…or if you need a time that is not available on my calendar. I’m usually able to work something out!