It’s all about that light… About that light! Light is THE NUMBER 1 MOST IMPORTANT thing that affects an image. Photographers call themselves experts of light because we’re always looking for that soft, glowy light any chance we can.

Unlike the scheduled portraits of a wedding day, the engagement session can be scheduled for the time of day that gives you the PERFECT light. This is why all of my portrait sessions are scheduled during either sunrise or one hour before sunset. The hour before sunset is known as the “golden hour” because the light is the dreamiest. This type of light, from the sun and its reflections, creates photographs that feel fresh, timeless and true to life.

The sun sets much earlier during the colder months of the year and much later during the warmer months, so make sure to factor that in when choosing your session date, especially if you’re taking time off work or have evening plans afterward. You can easily look up what time the sun rises or sets on any particular day with a quick Google search.

Sunset Light

The idea of sunset light or “golden hour” is the time that the sun tucks behind the horizon line and the sun is therefore behind the subject. So if you are doing photos in the heart of the city, and the light tucks behind all of the buildings much earlier in the day, golden hour might be much earlier than the given time of official sunset.

This time of day guarantees nice, even light from head to toe AND in the background of the scenery. This is the most flattering for skin tones. If you’ve ever taken a photo when the sun is beating directly on you, not only do you have squinty eyes, but there will be harsh, unflattering shadows cast on your face.

Sunrise Light

The soft look and the “golden hour glow” can also be achieved with sunrise light. Because this happens so quickly, it might still be a bit dark when it’s time to meet for our session. Not to worry, because this time can be used to great some awesome silhouette shots!

Overcast Day

Some photographers even say that overcast days are the best days for photography! There’s a lot of truth to this. You might not get the “glow” or the sun flare effect in some of your images, but the light is even EVERYWHERE which means that we can shoot ANYWHERE. It’s days like these that an image like the one above can be captured in the middle of the day.