Last week we took our first ever family vacation and visited my parents in South Carolina. While we were there, we met up with Caitlyn of Caitlyn Motyca Photography to have our family photos taken – a session over two years in the making!
In the last few days leading up to our session my husband and I spent a lot of time going back and forth over the best time of day for family photos. Summer family photo sessions can be a little tricky to plan due to the long days, early sunrises, and late sunsets. We wanted to make sure we had beautiful light for our photos which meant that we either had to pick an early morning session, starting at 6:30 am, or an evening session, starting at 7:15 pm.
Each of these options left us with pros and cons to consider so today I wanted to walk you through each time of day and the pros and cons that we went over when deciding when to have our photos taken.
Table of Contents
What Is Golden Hour?
Why did we only have two times of day to choose from? Especially in the summer, shouldn’t it be bright enough to have photos taken all day? In theory, yes. But different times of day have very different light qualities.
Blue hour is the time-period just before sunrise, and just after sunset. Blue hour happens when the sun is just below the horizon and not in the sky. This causes cool blue tones that help create moodier images.
At midday, the sun is very high in the sky which causes harsh shadows under your eyes. It’s also very bright making it hard not to squint in photos. This time of day can be very dramatic for high fashion photographers, but for family portraits, it isn’t ideal.
Golden hour is the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset – the opposite of blue hour. During this time the sun is low in the sky creating a soft, warm, and golden look to the light. This is perfect for portraits – it is incredibly flattering for all skin tones and brings a magical quality to your images. Many photographers prefer to photograph only during golden hour and think it is the best time of day for family photos.
The wonderful thing about golden hour is that it happens twice per day. A lot of people think of golden hour as being only at sunset, but the magical golden tones happen in the morning as well. So which option is better for your family – morning or evening?
Morning: Best time of day for family photos
Morning sessions can be the best time of day for family photos for a variety of reasons, but there are also a few things you should keep in mind when deciding on the best time of day for family photos.
The Pros:
Morning sessions are amazing for families with young children. Most of the time you are up early with your children anyway, so you might as well make the most of your time! This is also ideal if you have children with an earlier bedtime. In the summer golden hour can be very late, meaning you may have to keep your children up past their bedtime for photos. If your kids are anything like mine – this can be a recipe for a cranky disaster!
Morning sessions are also perfect in the summer when temperatures are higher. Having a session early in the day will make sure you stay cooler and more comfortable.
If you are trying to avoid traffic on the way to your session, or crowds at the location you want to photograph at, a morning session might be the best time for family photos. Depending on how early you start, you can completely avoid rush hour traffic on the way to your session. Since many locations get busier as the day goes on, having your session in the morning can allow you solo access to an otherwise crowded place.
Considerations:
There are a few cons to consider when it comes to deciding if morning sessions are the best time of day for family photos. The first is the early start time. If you or your children or partner are not morning people and find it difficult to get up and ready early in the morning, this might not be the best option for you. There is nothing worse than feeling rushed on the way to your session so if mornings tend to be stressful for your family, you might want to reconsider this option.
If you are hoping to have hair and makeup done before your session, your Hair Stylist or Makeup Artist may not take clients as early as you need. Likewise, not all locations will be open as early as you would like to start your session.
Evening: Best time of day for family photos
Most people think of evening sessions when they think of golden hour family photos, and for good reason. This time of day can be perfect for many families.
The Pros:
If you or your family are not morning people, evening is a much better choice for you! Some families need the extra time to get up, have some coffee and settle into their day before getting ready for photos. It’s so important to arrive to your session feeling rested and relaxed so that you can enjoy your time together as a family in front of the camera.
You could have more options for locations to photograph at. Some locations have set hours of operation so having a later session may give you access to a place you wouldn’t be able to photograph at if your session was early in the morning.
If you want to have your hair and makeup done, an evening session is likely the better choice for you. You have an entire day to coordinate schedules with your hair and makeup artist and ensure enough time before your session to make sure they can create the look you envision.
Considerations:
While evening sessions may seem like the best time for family photos, there are a few things to consider before securing the time with your photographer.
First, crowds at your location. If the place where you are photographing is a popular area, like a beach in the summer, or Central Park on a warm afternoon, you need to be aware of the people who will be there. While your photographer may be able to photoshop out some people, there isn’t a guarantee that it is possible. Another thing to consider is if you aren’t very comfortable being photographed when other people are around to see you, you may want a different location or a morning session when less people will be there.
It’s also important to consider traffic. If you are traveling to a location that is busy in the evenings, you need to either factor in additional time for traffic, or choose a morning session when fewer people are on the roads.
The weather is something to consider for summer evening sessions. Even though the sun is setting at this time, it’s still going to be much warmer that an early morning session. If you are concerned about sweating and being uncomfortable in the heat, you may want to select a morning session time.
Bedtimes. While one night might not seem like a big deal to keep your children up for an evening session, you need to be aware of the chance for your children to be tired, cranky, and uncooperative. This can cause stress for you and your children and make the photo session frustrating instead of fun.
So which time of day is best for family photos?
When it comes down to it, the best time of day for family photos is really up to your family’s needs and your vision for your session.
We ended up selecting a morning session for our family photos. Our son is usually up early and can get cranky in the evenings before bed. We were photographing at a public beach that didn’t have set hours of operation, and we wanted to avoid traffic and then have the entire day to spend at the beach. We also knew that it was going to be very hot that day so starting out early helped us stay comfortable for a little longer.
After going through this post and considering all the important factors, hopefully, you feel confident choosing the best time for family photos. If you still have questions, you can always reach out to your photographer and ask them what they think would be best based on your vision.
Ready to book your family photos in New Jersey?
Hi there! I’m Kate – a New Jersey Photographer celebrating and photographing all stages of your unique motherhood journey. From the exciting days during your pregnancy, to the whirlwind newborn moments, to the beautiful chaos of life with littles, my goal is to beautifully photograph each stage so you and your children can have and hold those sweet memories in your hands forever.
You can see more of my work on instagram, learn more about me, inquire about a session – I would love to get to know you and your family and create beautiful memories together!
