tips about light

The Barron’s Family | Orange County Family Photographer | Montage Laguna Family Photos

The Barron’s Family | Orange County Family Photographer | Montage Laguna Family Photos

A few of my recent clients have asked me , “Does the time of day you shoot at the beach make that much of a difference?”

Heres my answer : The golden hour occurs from about half an hour before, until about an hour after sunrise in the morning, and then an hour before sunset, to about 20 to 30 minutes after the sun has gone down in the evening. When you shoot in this soft light the light is golden in colour and often changes colour from yellow, to orange to magenta. 
-The light is soft, i.e. no major contrast such as hard shadows and very bright highlights. 
-Colors are more exaggerated, the color of the light is far more emphasized, much more oranges, reds and magentas are visible in the scene.
It is for these reasons that photographers choose to shoot in the early morning or early evening, these times produce the most dramatic images.

Many of us were taught to shoot under bright sunlight, in the middle of the day, with the sun behind us. Sure, that can work, but you won’t get dramatic results every time, in many cases, your images will look very average. This is because light is harsh at this time of day.

So to many of you who are wondering, yes, the time of day can make a HUGE difference in the outcome of your photos.