What's the Best Time of Day for Outdoor Portraits?
That's one of the most common questions that people ask, and I've got some opinons, of course!
Truro, Nova Scotia
Sunrise
Are you an early riser? Do you look your best, wide awake self as the birds are waking and the sun is just starting to peek above the horizon? At the time I'm writing this, in mid September, we'd be meeting for a sunrise session at approximately 6:30 in the morning because the sun rises in Colchester County at 6:57 AM tomorrow according to my Helioseek app. And since it's chilly that early in the morning at this time of year, your cute outfit might be covered in layers for warmth! If were doing a session towards the end of July, it'd be warmer, but we'd be meeting at 5:30 AM and might be a lot less awake. Why would we get up so early to do a photo session? Well, of course, the light is wonderful at that time of day, but sunrise sometimes wins over sunset if your location is a busy spot (less people around at sunrise) or if you need the light to come from the east.
TIP
For a sunrise session to be most effective, a location with a clear view to the east is necessary in order to take advantage of those rays. Buildings and tree lines can really block the light, so if you have a location in mind it's a good idea to have the location scouted at dawn in advance to check the quality of the light.
Sunset
Doyou like the idea of having beautful soft light for your session but hate the thought of crawling out of bed and trying to look your best just as the roosters start their days? Sunset may be your friend as all the reasons for doing a sunrise session apply to sunset photography, too. Of course, the biggest difference is that the alarm clock won't be sounding at 5:00 o'clock, and the temperatures may not be as crisp during certain seasons.
TIP
For sunset photos, a location that allows a lot of light to enter from the west is needed. A thick line of trees blocking the sun as it starts to set just won't allow the light to have the same effect. Just like I mentioned for the sunrise locations, it's best to visit the location before booking a session time just to make sure the light is not obstructed.
Why do we want Sunrise or Sunset?
Putting the sunrise or sunset at your back, will result in natural flares with a pretty effect. Both sunrise and sunset can be used to make a beautiful soft side light, and if you can quickly look towards the light for a few seconds, or turn your head artfully sideways or glance down, the direct light from the sun can be totally amazing at both times of day. These special times I would recommend for images that will contain a lot of background, such as a horse and rider in an open field, a family walking along the beach, or a beautiful dog standing on a hill in a lovely stance. For closer portraits, where details on the face are most important and the gorgeous light is all for background, strobe lighting will be used to make that happen.
What are some drawbacks?
1) Besides having to get up really early if sunrise if your thing, both times of day contain colour casts from the sun's rays that will affect the colour tones of your skin. Think a bit orangey/red/yellow during sunrise and sunset , with bluer tones just before the sun rises and after it sets at dusk. These are often referred to as blue hours and golden hours.
2) IF! I should have started with IF. If the weather and atmosphere cooperate, these lovely colours will appear. We live in the Maritimes, so we all know that it is impossible to pick a day and guarantee that there will pretty light at dawn or dusk. We very well may just get a grey sky.
3) There's not much time to actually take the photos before the light changes and very quickly it's past that time of glowing golden light that we all hope for. Once the sun appears all the way above or drops all the way below the horizon, that's it! For that reason, it's really important to have a session plan in place to make the best use of time!
What about the In Between Times?
Honestly, any time during the day can be used to take outdoor portraits, as you can see from the samples below, but expect the light to be more crisp and contrasty.
When planning an outdoor session without the benefit of the softer sunrise/sunset light, it's important to look for natural or manmade filters that can be used to bend the light to our advantage. What types of filters? Things like a shade tree, an awning over a pretty patio or the sunless side of a large building can often be used as locations to create nice images. You may have heard that photographers love cloudy days, and the reason is that the clouds provide a natural filter for the sunlight.
What you don't want, if at all possible, is to be outside in direct sun around noon. If you are, be prepared to squint, have dark shadows under your eyes, have any facial lines amplified, and have colour casts from the green grass reflect on your skin and light coloured clothing. (In winter any snow on the ground can be dazzling to the eyes!) It's just not a good look. However, if it is 100% important that you stand right in the sun, a photographer can overcome much of those issues with a strobe or two, so even the "worst" time of day for portraits can be made to work.
