5 Reasons to Trust Your Photographer with Your Start Time

We will all at one time work with a talented photographer and try to create a session to look like something you’ve seen on Pinterest. You spent the night scrolling and pinning your favorites photos so that your photographer understands the exact look you are going for.

So you hop online, find the photographer you want, or contact the one you’ve been following on IG and you start to plan your location and time. This is when you are shocked the learn that your photographer has set the start time to 6 in the MORNING. But why??? Well… Let me explain it to you.

1. Sunrise Time > Sunset Time

This one is a tough pill to swallow, but hands down, a sunrise start time is better than sunset. Especially here on the East coast of Florida. Our sunrises are stunning and if there are no clouds, you can even incorporate the sun in your photos. We don’t have that luxury at sunset, which sets behind us away from our coast line.

Florida is HOT. So scheduling your session time in the early morning hours means less humidity, sweat stains and make up running off your face. Not to mention, it’s so much more enjoyable.

Finally, LESS PEOPLE. Imagine having an entire beach or park all to yourself. There is a freedom that comes with privacy and you will be more comfortable to have fun and act a little silly with no one around.

2. The Time for Sunset and Sunrise Change Throughout The Year

Fun fact, being a photographer also makes you a human compass. As a natural light photographer, I always know where at my location is East and West. This is important to understand where all the shadows will be leaning and if there even will be enough shade on location.

Let’s say it’s the middle of the summer and you want to schedule a sunrise session with me. There is a lot more day light in the summer so the sunrise is 6:30 AM. But the sky has already started to brighten even before that. You would have to be ready and on location for a start time of 6:15 AM.

Now let’s say you want to schedule that same session but in December, the sunrise is at 7:15 AM. So we would set the start time to 7:00 AM instead.

My biggest advice is this. You’re investing in portraits that you take once a year. Take this one day to get up earlier than usual and make it worth every penny. You will not regret the effort when you see the end result. As a mom, I know this is a tough one for families with littles, but I’ve done it enough times to know that it is possible.

3. The Beach Has No Forgiveness

That header may sound a bit dramatic but it’s not. What is dramatic is the bright sun at 8 am with no place to hide. That is exactly what the beach is like after sunrise. Our Florida beaches aren’t lined with palm trees to provide any shade. Once that golden hour lighting has passed, it’s all harsh light and hard shadows on everything.

If you happen to run late for your morning sunrise session, you might miss that very short window of time of perfect golden sun. Now, I always do my best to make it work with editing, but you cannot achieve the same soft look in harsh lighting.

4. Some Locations Have Limited Operating Hours

Some of my recommended locations have operating hours that can limit when we can use that location. For example, I love Rockledge Gardens, but their opening hours are 9 am – 5 pm.

To be frank, that 9 am start time is really pushing it. But in winter time, with cooler weather, I make use of all the trees and shaded areas for better lighting. I do not recommend this location in the summer. The sun is too high at opening and closing.

I also don’t recommend that location during the weekend when it’s the busiest with many people around. I actually push away from public locations on the weekend at sunset because it is often overcrowded. You have to go in the morning for best results.

5. Summer Rains in Florida

Florida is infamous for it’s summer showers. Hurricanes come and go, but summer showers are here to stay. Summer showers are also 95% of the time in the afternoon. You can get lucky and it will dissipate before sunset. However, you are still left with wet sand or soggy grass at your location of choice. this can limit how much we can do.

I try to avoid this by scheduling in the morning as much as possible. It will 9 out of 10 times be sunny and dry as a whistle.

My goal is simply to educate on why timing is so important in photography. There is a lot that goes into creating a beautiful photo. It starts at the beginning when you choose your photographer. Their style will be the base for the result. Trust their advice and expertise to bring your vision to life.

Clients who book with me also receive my preparation guide, tailored to their session type (family, engagement, newborn, maternity, etc). I also have a location guide with tons of recommendations for every outdoor look.

If you are interested in booking a session with me, or just want to learn more, feel free to leave your deets on my contact page to get in touch!