THE GOLDEN HOUR
The Golden Hour occurs 30 minutes before sunset. The light is simply magic, warm and golden, making everyone beautiful. This is especially perfect for high school seniors, couples, and smaller families where we can play with movement and those special personal interactions. It does not work well with a heavily cloudy or rainy day, or large families that need extra time.
THE BLUE HOUR
The Blue Hour is the 30 minutes after sunset. I often include it at the end of a Golden Hour Session. Even though the sun has set, there is still amazing light to work with. It is soft and gentle on your skin, it often allows us to be in beautiful spots that the sun ruins. So don't get worried if we outrun the sun, it is purposeful.
AFTERNOONS
We can also book your session 1-3 hours before sunset. The sun is higher in the sky, a bit harsher, so we don't get those magical, golden rays, but this is a safer option for larger family groups, or when you need a specific time that works with your event (prom and HOCO). I prefer to book these sessions in locations where we can find some beautiful shady spots and let the people and location shine more than the light. This light works well for more posed, whole group sessions because it gives us a lot of time in a steady light. If the sky is heavily clouded, or rain is possible, this is the best option because the sun is strong and the clouds act as a natural diffuser.
MORNINGS
30minutes-2 hours after sunrise gives us a lovely, soft light that is very flattering on your skin. Most of my Children's Sessions are in the morning, I wish that more families would book this timeslot, but getting up early can be a challenge for families with teenagers. If the sky is overcast, I push the time to 1-2 hours after sunrise so that we have a stronger sun to overcome the clouds. Morning light is excellent for all session types and family sizes. Most of our locations are also less populated during the morning hours, which is a benefit.
RAINY DAYS
Yes! We can absolutely get great pictures in the rain, and they might turn out to be exceptionally special. But sometimes we do want to avoid rainy days. If the rain is too hard and thick, the wind too strong, we will need to reschedule. With rainy days, we want to shift to later morning or earlier afternoon when the sun is strongest (behind those clouds). I have lovely clear umbrellas that allow us to stay dry from the drizzle and keep getting pictures no matter how large your group.
SNOWY DAYS
I love snow day photography! Like rainy days, we need to shoot later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon so that we get the strongest sun (above those snow clouds). Dress warm and we can get some amazing pictures. If you want to guarantee a snow day look, contact me early in the winter to be a call if it snows. Often, we only have 24 hrs. notice that the snow is coming.
