Why do we ask you to meet us late in the day?

Some of you may have been wondering why photographers keep dragging families out so late in the day—especially in the summertime when we tell you 7pm is best! (Sorry!) I know it’s late for littles, and husbands can get hangry (just mine?🤣), but there really is a method to our madness...

LIGHT.

Photography is essentially painting with light in any given environment.

The quality of light vastly affects the quality of the image, and we photographers spend lifetimes chasing it. We also know how to manipulate the given light conditions and create magic  by tweaking all those glorious settings in our cameras. So yes, we can take lovely portraits in dark rooms with green tinted fluorescent lights, or figure out how to position our subjects outside with no shade and  very harsh overhead sunlight—we can do that! But the results aren’t always as ideal as they could be. 

That’s why photographers love the end of the day, the light is lower and directional, more how we would place our light in a  controlled studio setting. At high noon when the sun is above us, it creates deep shadows in the sockets of eyes, making large skeleton-like shadows  where sparkling eyes should be. It is not a good look. There are ways to avoid that shadowing with overhead lights, but those modifiers work best with adults who can take direction and be still for more than half a millisecond.  

My Dad has spent his life preaching that my brother and I should always set ourselves  up for success, and put in the work for the best possible outcome. He mostly means that  we need to save more money because a penny saved is a penny earned but that is an entirely different blog post about my dad’s soapboxes....but in *this* context he’s not wrong. Photographers ask clients to meet late in the day because  it sets the session up for success. The light is softer, and more flattering. Your photographer doesn’t have to spend as much time figuring out poses to work with the light and can focus more on getting those genuine smiles. On the beach we often have to fight the wind too—it’s a challenge to have to worry about harsh sunlight AND strong wind. 

Below are two images that illustrate my point. I would never use a human model to show harsh light but these lovely hibiscus blooms will do: ️

The top image was taken in full sunlight in June by the beach. No clouds in the sky and at around 5pm. It’s a beautiful flower! I happen to love the sweet little shadow of its stamen, and for a portrait of a flower it’s whimsical and beautiful. If this were the shadow of my nose on my face however, I’m not sure sweet would be the word I would be looking for. Notice all the veins and fine lines you can see in the surface of the flower too. Cool, huh? Not cool if it were the lines on my forehead!! That’s because light that causes such strong shadows in big, noticeable areas like the stamen also do so in tiny little crevices too. So while we may register them just as “fine lines” they are actually enhanced and darker because of their shadows . Wrinkles look much deeper in this lighting, and I for one am trying to reduce those!

Now look at the bottom hibiscus. It was taken at the same time of day, just a few feet away but in open shade which is a diffused light source. It is so much softer, and it’s fine lines are not as prominent. Notice also how the colors of the flowers seem completely different too. That is because of the light hitting them. In that full sun, the hibiscus is a warmer pink with very light pink highlights that are almost white. In the shade, the hibiscus bloom is much cooler with blue undertones and a more even color throughout. This is where shade can be tricky, however because blue skin tones on humans is not usually a good thing. The photographer needs to be mindful of white balance in this instance  (basically the color temperature of an image) and adjust to warm the image up for accurate skin tones. 

I point all of this out because I know most of my clients would absolutely prefer more attractive portraits over less flattering ones. We get those with better lighting conditions. Softer, directional light at the very end of the day makes a world of difference.

Let the kids stay up just this once (I know it can be hard sometimes!) but it will be worth it! Promise an ice cream pajama party if you have to, but if they can make it until 7pm still smiling (at least part of the time), the portrait you will gain will make you happy for a lifetime.

A frameable moment frozen in time.