When is the best time to get your families photos done? Good question. Many people tend to schedule between 10-3. The sun gets harsh and really bright once it comes out. The morning sun and evening sun tend to be more golden-like. I personally prefer the first hour is rises and the last hour of the day! I like the soft golden light and I can capture it at the perfect angle behind you and hopefully get a good haze! Here are examples of morning golden hour and evening golden hour and middle of the afternoon when the sun is bright.

When is Golden Hour?

The period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset – In other words, 1 hour after sun rises and the hour before the sun sets. Then you hit blue hour.

What is golden hour? It’s the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. Why do Photographers prefer shooting then? Because the light is softer less harsh then between 11-3. Especially if you’re without shade. During the day it is harder to do shoots when it is hard light. I have done shoots during harsh light manually setting my camera correctly, but generally speaking I prefer either in the morning or in the late afternoon. Examples of morning golden hour and evening golden hour shoots I have.

The time in the morning and in the evening also depends on the location and where it sits to the sun! This place below is better in the morning since the sun rises there.

This photo was taken at 8am during Cherry Blossoms in Hain’s Point, East Potomac Park, Washington D.C. I don’t use presets so this photo is shot in RAW, manual hand edit with just a little light fix.

This is a golden hour evening shoot with the sun behind them. This photo session was 6PM.

This place might work in the morning as well as evening but the sun sets in a different direction.

This is a photo session during the day at 2-3PM. Yes you can make it work you just need to know the settings on your camera well. This was taken at Meadowlark Botanical Garden in Vienna, Virginia.

The sun is at the right angle and gives off that glow!

This one below can be either or. I don’t recommend shooting past 10-11 am as it get’s very harsh sun and hard to find those shady areas. This spot below would not work well in the early morning if you want that sun light as it is!

This cherry blossom location works well for either. If you want the evening sun, it’s perfect!

Just watch earlier then 5PM in the spring time as you will get sun spots under neath the branches!

This location below works best early morning but works well in the evening for me. Because it’s limited in the “Fall” color. My first fall photos was here which is on my family page.