Shooting directly into the sun makes it easier to produce silhouettes because the extreme brightness of the sun is in stark contrast to the dark shadowed side when the subject is placed between camera and sun. This can be used to the photographer’s advantage for natural, warm, side light, or backlight to accentuate facial features, hair, or clothing. Because the sun has to pass through a thicker portion of the atmosphere the blue light is scattered more and as such, enhances warmer, lower wavelength light like oranges and reds. Something in common among both sunrise and sunset though is the fact that the sun hangs low in the sky, scudding the landscape and providing longer shadows. It’s this rising of air that can build clouds in the sky. In the morning clouds struggle to form because the sun has yet to heat the ground sufficiently to allow strong thermal convection. The amount of sky you include in an outdoor portrait may also be influenced by the time of day. As the sun rises, before it warms the ground and this moisture evaporates, there’s a small window of opportunity to capture the condensation shining in the new light, like jewels glimmering in the background. Moisture in the atmosphere condenses onto the ground and, depending on location, can lead to dew or even frost forming on the ground. Overnight, the atmosphere cools as the earth rotates and the sun falls out of view. While sunrise and sunset can be thought of as identical there are actually some key differences between them. Portraits captured during blue hour will have a blue shade and a more moody quality.Ī portrait captured during blue hour. Like golden hour, blue hour is also found around sunrise and sunset, except it is the short period (perhaps 20 or 30 minutes) immediately before sunrise or after sunset, when the sun is below the horizon and not directly illuminating your subject. Photos by TudorTulok and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.Īlso referred to as “magic hour,” this is often considered the best time of the day to shoot portraits due to the warm directional light you can easily achieve. Comparison photos showing natural light in daylight (above) and golden hour (below). One of the most popular periods of the day portrait photographers aim for is golden hour, or the short period immediately after sunrise or immediately before sunset in which the low angle of the sun causes the natural light in a scene to be soft and golden (hence the name). It’s possible to fast-forward and rewind in time so there’s no excuse for checking this out well ahead of the photoshoot.

Extra built-in features such as shadow length tracking and golden hour angles can make it easier to shoot in the right location for certain styles of outdoor portraits. Planning sunlight position is relatively easy with the use of a smartphone app such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris or PhotoPills which help to track sun (and moon) position throughout the year, no matter the location. We’ll also consider what to look for in camera equipment and how camera settings can influence our final results. From apps that help us plan for the best weather and time of day, to a look at some useful tips to make the most of modifying the quality and quantity of light that falls on our subjects. However, with this guide, we’ll highlight the best practices for all times of day to ensure a successful outdoor portrait shoot. With problems like weather, sun position, shooting locations, and access restricting a photographer’s ability to shoot there are a lot of variables that can make an outdoor portrait session go wrong. Setting up in a studio where conditions are controlled and lighting, backdrops, and styling is all precisely monitored is all very well and good, but taking things outdoors can start to make things a little more tricky. But take a step outside and suddenly all manner of lighting changes in both quantity and quality influence the sort of outdoor portraits we can capture. Portraiture is one of the most accessible types of photographic genres, with everyone capable of shooting a selfie or a family snap around birthdays and holidays.

Golden hour time photography