This is Why I Love to Shoot at Golden Hour

A session at noon might be more convenient for you, but...

... but there's a reason I insist on shooting at Golden Hour if our session is outdoors.

First of all, what is Golden Hour? It's the hour or so before the sun sets, when the light is at its most soft and gorgeous. If it's cloudy, or there's a treeline, Golden Hour may be earlier in the evening, so chances are, I'll be obsessively checking all three of my weather apps in the days leading up to our session to pinpoint an exact start time, so we get to revel in every second of that magical light.

I know what you're thinking, though: if I keep my toddler up until 8pm on a summer evening, she'll be a mess. Can't we shoot at, say, 2pm instead? We CAN, but we won't get the same soft, beautiful light, and I'll suggest moving the session in-studio instead. I might also suggest an afternoon nap, because trust me, golden hour is worth it.

Still not convinced? Here are a few shots from some of my favorite golden hour sessions.

Side note: even if we're not shooting at a rustic location, we'll still get gorgeous light at golden hour! Peep the carnival photos.