Dreamy Sunset or Squinting & Sweaty: Why Timing Really Matters for Your Beach Photo Session
A revamp on this blog post has been a long time coming.
Mostly because I’ve had this conversation approximately 847 times (this year), and I figured it was time to stop sounding like a broken record and update my official blog post.
When you’re planning a family photography session, there are a lot of things to consider:
Where are we shooting?
How many people are being photographed?
What is the purpose of the session?
What will the weather be like?
But when we’re photographing your family on the beach, there is one question that matters more than almost anything else:
What time does the sun set?
And yes, I know that sounds like a boring question.
But I promise you, it is the difference between “OMG, I LOVE THESE!” and “Why do these look so different from the pictures on your Instagram?”
Let’s talk about why.
Golden Hour: The Good Stuff
By now you’ve probably heard the term Golden Hour before.
And yes, it really is all it’s cracked up to be.
Have you ever been driving around in the evening and suddenly everything looks warmer, softer, and more beautiful? The trees are glowing, everything has that gorgeous golden color, and you just get that inexplicable happy feeling?
Maybe that’s just me because I am obsessed with good light.
But THAT is Golden Hour.
Golden Hour happens in the period leading up to sunset when the sun is lower in the sky. The light becomes softer and warmer, shadows become less harsh, and we can position your family in ways that create that dreamy, glowy look you’re probably here for.
For photographers, it’s basically magic.
Golden Hour generally begins about 2 hours before sunset, but the best light – especially on the beach – isn’t the entire Golden Hour.
And that’s where beach photography gets a little more specific.
Why I Prefer the Last Hour Before Sunset
For my beach sessions, I don’t like to start shooting more than an hour before sunset.
So, for example, if sunset is at 8:30 PM, your session would begin around 7:30 PM.
“But Elle… isn’t that really late?”
Yep. 😂
But there’s a reason.
When the sun is still high in the sky, it creates very strong, directional light. That means:
- Harsh shadows across faces
- Squinting
- Dark shadows underneath eyes and noses
- Bright highlights on skin
- Less flexibility with where we can position your family
- Fewer flattering angles
- Less opportunity to use the beach and surrounding scenery creatively
- And, during the summer, a whole lot more sweating
As the sun gets lower, all of that starts to soften.
Eventually, we get that beautiful, warm light that wraps around your family instead of blasting straight down on everyone’s faces.
And that’s the look I want for you.
What About Shooting Earlier?
This is probably the question I get the most.
“Can we do 4:00?”
Or 4:30.
Or 5:00.
Or 5:30 in the middle of summer.
And the answer is:
Technically, yes.
But there’s a really important distinction between being able to photograph you and being able to photograph you in the light you’re hiring me for.
If we shoot several hours before sunset, the sun is still very high in the sky.
That means we’re much more limited in what we can do.
We may need to position you in certain directions to avoid putting the sun directly in your eyes. We may have stronger shadows on your faces. And we simply won’t have that soft, glowy light that you see throughout my portfolio.
I can absolutely take beautiful photos earlier in the day.
But they will look different.
And I don’t want you to be surprised by that.
“But I Have Kids!”
I know.
I really do.
If you’re vacationing with a bunch of families someone is bound to have a toddler who normally goes to bed at 6:00.
And I completely understand why a 7:40 PM session sounds slightly terrifying. 😂
But here’s the thing:
Most of my families with little ones make it work.
I’ve photographed plenty of tired toddlers, cranky babies, and kids who would very much prefer to be doing literally anything other than taking pictures.
And somehow… we still get the good stuff.
They might have a meltdown.
They might need a snack break.
Someone might run away.
Someone might announce that they are DONE.
It’s okay.
That’s part of family life.
And you know what?
You won’t see most of that in your gallery. 😝
We work around it, keep things moving, let them play, and capture the moments when they’re happy and engaged.
A Few Tricks for Making a Later Session Work
If your kids are younger, there are a few things you can do to stack the deck in our favor.
Let them sleep in or nap later.
If you can push their nap a little later on the day of your session, do it!
Push bedtime a little later for a few nights beforehand.
If your trip allows for it, gradually shifting bedtime can make the later session feel much more manageable. Also keep in mind when all the little cousins get together, schedules tend to go out the window.
Use the time change to your advantage.
If you’re traveling from another time zone, your kids may naturally be awake later than usual anyway!
Don’t exhaust them at the beach all day.
This one is HUGE.
I know you’re on vacation and you want to spend every possible minute at the pool or beach.
But the sun is exhausting.
A full day of swimming + sun + heat + dinner + a late photo session can be a recipe for some very unhappy little people.
Give everyone a little downtime before your session if you can.
Sunrise Is Another Great Option
If an evening session truly isn’t going to work for your family, sunrise is an amazing alternative.
And surprisingly, it can be especially great for families with young kids.
In the summer, the sun may rise around 6:30 AM, which is when we can start photographing.
Yes, that’s early.
But if you have a toddler who is already waking up at 6:00 AM every morning anyway…
You might as well put them in cute clothes and bring them to the beach. 😂
Sunrise gives us beautiful, soft light without having to convince your toddler to stay awake until 8:30 PM.
It’s also generally quieter on the beach, which can be a huge bonus.
The Time of Year Makes a BIG Difference
One thing I always want families to remember is that sunset time changes dramatically throughout the year.
If you’re visiting in the summer, sunset might be around 8:30 PM.
That means your ideal session time could be around 7:40 PM.
But visit in October?
Sunset may be closer to 6:00 PM.
Now we’re starting around 5:15 PM.
And that’s a completely different story when you have little ones.
Sunrise changes throughout the year, too.
In October, for example, sunrise may be around 7:20 AM, which means we can start a session later than we would in the summer.
So if you’re flexible about when you visit, choosing a different time of year can actually make a huge difference in the schedule of your family vacation.
And bonus: October also means cooler temperatures, gorgeous light, and you don’t have to deal with quite as much of the summer chaos. 😉
So… Can We Just Shoot at 6:00?
If you’ve read all of this and you’re still thinking:
“Elle, I hear you. But 6:00 PM is literally the only time that works for us.”
Okay!
I’m not going to tell you that you can’t.
Ultimately, the decision is yours.
If you need an earlier session, I will absolutely photograph your family in the middle of the day.
I just want you to understand what you’re choosing.
If we photograph your family more than an hour before sunset, we won’t have the same soft, golden light that you see in my portfolio. We’ll have more challenging shadows, stronger sunlight, more squinting, and fewer options for positioning your family.
And there’s only so much I can control with my camera when the sun is that bright.
I’m Not Trying to Make Your Life Difficult
I promise.
I know that a late-night family photo session isn’t always convenient.
But family portraits are an investment, and my job isn’t just to take technically good pictures.
My job is to create the kind of images that made you want to hire me in the first place.
The soft light.
The warm glow.
The beautiful beach.
The giggling kids.
The snuggles.
The wind in your hair.
The images that feel like your family on vacation, not just a lineup of everyone staring at the camera.
That’s why I care so much about your session time.
So when I recommend that we start an hour before sunset, it’s not because I’m trying to make your bedtime routine harder.
It’s because I want you to LOVE your photos.
And if you’re willing to trust me with the timing, I promise I’ll do everything I can to make the rest of the session fun, relaxed, and worth staying up a little late for.
This is the site I use to plan sunrise & sunset times: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@12110793
