“Location, location, location!” You know the old adage about where you are matters. Well I’m here to drop a little bit of a truth bomb which may be surprising: when it comes to great photos, that’s only HALF true! Today we’ll be discussing the other half which is, “Lighting, Lighting, Lighting”!

Now, before you click on the little “X” and close out of this blog due to my bad pun skills, I’d love to explain why the timing is just as important as the location. While it’s true that WHERE you are matters, it’s also true that WHEN you are matters! Wait, what?! Does that make sense?

Let’s dive in, shall we? Okay, so, let’s say you are on a beautiful beach, it’s a gorgeous, sunny day, a total tropical paradise. The sand is soft and white, the weather is warm, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Sounds perfect right? Well…not so much. Actually, for a natural-light portrait photographer, that’s a horror show! Here’s why: photography is a game of lights (not as high stakes as a game of thrones but, you get the idea), light matters. What’s more, camera’s do not see things the same way that the human eye does. Behind all of those huge lenses is some pretty advanced mechanical ingenuity. Okay, it’s an upside down mirror (trust me, it’s confusing) but my point is that a camera processes and creates images using light and the way it sees light can lead you to have less than flattering results if you’re not mindful!

This is why soft, overcast days are PERFECT for photos! It’s a fact that if you don’t like the way you look in your photo, you won’t like the photo which is why I always shoot either at sunrise or sunset. The light is different at both but it’s soft, even, diffused lighting which is so flattering and beautiful. I love shooting during golden hour which is one reason that helps me develop my signature images which are warm, airy, and light.

Below you’ll find examples of both sunrise and sunset sessions!

Sunrise

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Sunset

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These may be a bit more extreme examples of cool morning light and warm evening light but it’s just better to show you how important lighting is in the entire equation! 🙂

I hope this helps you choose the best time for your session 🙂