The Best Time of Day to Take Pre-Wedding Photos
My beautiful clients Jode and Nadine, taken at around 2:30pm on a spring day in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo by (yours truly) Jille Cristobal.
They say golden hour is the best and most romantic time of day - but is it the only time of day you can take photos? What if it doesn’t work for your schedule?
Well I am here to assure you that not all hope is lost, and complete with photo examples, I will take you on a journey from morning ‘til night, and show you that any time of day, any lighting condition will work as long as it’s the look and feel you’re going for.
(I just spoiled the outcome, didn’t I? But please stick around to see the photos! :D)
Full Sun: mid-morning to early afternoon
Early in my photography career, I thought I needed to avoid full sun because it’s too harsh and creates too much contrast. I can say now that stark contrast is something good editing can fix, and that I’m learning to embrace the look of fully basking in sunlight and the hazy glow it gives.
Recommended for: forests, gardens, or any areas with lots of trees and shaded spots. While full sun is glorious, you would still need some respite from the brightness. (And for variety in your photos.)
Watch out for: speckled shadows on faces. Or any oddly-shaped shadows for that matter.
Golden Hour (sunrise or sunset)
In the morning, this would be from sunrise to about an hour after. And in the evening, this starts from an hour before sunset, until the sun goes down.
Recommended for: beaches and wide expanses of landscapes.
Watch out for: the light being too yellow! It can get overly warm very quickly, if the sun decides to go full strength at this hour. Fortunately this can be fixed in editing, so don’t let that stop you.
**Disclaimer: The photos above are from a maternity session - but same idea for pre-wedding photos, only difference is the bump 😅
Blue Hour
This is the time of day opposite golden hour - so, just before sunrise, and just after sunset. In between the sun being visible, and total darkness. There is a beautiful moodiness to it, and is just as romantic as (if not more romantic than) golden hour in my opinion.
If you’re taking sunset photos, don’t stop right away when the sun goes down. I like to take blue hour to cool down with a few relaxed poses before wrapping up the session.
Recommended for: any kind of backdrop. It’s a great time of day to play around with different light sources like lanterns or candles.
Nighttime
Who doesn’t love stars? I love a good astrophotography moment reminiscent of La La Land, Interstellar or Project Hail Mary. It is just so awe-inspiring, what a sight to behold.
And if you’re out in the city, it’s a great time to go to a good restaurant and have dinner and drinks. (Two birds one stone is much appreciated with also being able to fuel up after a shoot!)
Recommended for: any kind of backdrop. If you want to see the stars, go out to a location free of light pollution. Ideally there would be no clouds as well, but you might still get lucky.
Watch out for: holding poses for longer than you might be comfortable with :) If I don’t use flash, I will drastically slow down my shutter speed to get as much moonlight and stars as possible. If you move in this timeframe, the photo will look blurry!
In conclusion, a good photographer will produce great photos no matter what time of day or lighting condition — in saying that, time of day is still a huge influence on the vibe you are going for, so definitely take this into consideration when dreaming up your pre-wedding photos.
Another consideration is when you have the most energy during the day. A photoshoot can take it out of you especially if you’re not used to being photographed. But at the same time, your photographer should be helping you slow down, breathe and be present — that is the whole point of a photoshoot after all.
Enjoyed looking through the photos and want something similar for yourself? Let’s chat 🤍
