We all love summer, right? It’s warm, the kids are out of school, it stays light so much later. It’s awesome, I know! Family portrait season is also in full swing! I thought that I would take this time to chat a bit about why I ALWAYS insist on doing my outdoor sessions in the evening, about an hour before sunset. That time of day is known as the golden hour!
In the summer, that means my sessions start late. I know this and I can sympathize with families that have small children. It’s tough getting them on a schedule, keeping that schedule and then I come along and tell you that we have to do pictures at 7:30 at night. There is a good reason though I promise! It’s the light, you guys!
The Magic of the Golden Hour
LIGHT MATTERS! Mother Nature blesses us with these AMAZING jaw-dropping golden sunsets in summer. This is light that you can not get any other time of the year. All of those amazing golden hour light images you love on my website – those were taken like seconds before the sun dips behind the mountains. I can’t get those images if we shoot at 6:00 or even 7:00 in the middle of summer. Even if it is not super sunny out the evening of your session, I still want to shoot in the evening. The light is so much more flattering, sunshine or not.
When talking with clients about when to do their sessions, this is something that needs to be taken into consideration. I often suggest that parents do late naps the day of pictures. If it is still too late for them, we can wait until fall for their session as the sunset is earlier. The light is definitely different in fall, but still beautiful. All of the images in this post were taken in the evening – different times of the year but during the golden hour no less.
And if you are looking for those gorgeous, golden, summer photos of your own family, do not wait any longer. I can’t believe I’m saying this but we are like halfway through summer already! The days are getting shorter and before you know it, the kids will be back in school and wearing sweaters again!
Golden Hour Family Portraits
I feel so fortunate that I get to call this work. Who else gets to wake up every single day and help families celebrate life & love? I love that I get to tell their story. It is incredible to be able to create a moment in amongst all of the chaos that is parenthood, where moms and dads can really just focus on the amazing family that they created. I am pretty lucky if you ask me!
Are you are looking for a family photographer? It would be an honor to craft a completely custom portrait experience for you!
To learn more, drop me a note at hello@erinjachimiak.com or click here.
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