Every photographer knows about the magic hour, also known as golden hour. It's morning's first light following sunrise or the final hours of daylight before the sun sets in the sky and mother nature turns out the lights.

It's the time of day where the light is naturally more golden and soft and just perfect for photographs. Last Fall I really started to take advantage of this dreamy time of day and recommended scheduling shoots during these evening hours. I am so glad I did! I loved that season of my photography business and the images captured in those magical moments of perfect light. So many gorgeous portraits, warmth in the tones, and beautiful sun flares. I absolutely love what some sunshine adds to a picture.

I actually downloaded an app called Rise - The Sunrise Sunset Calendar so I can keep track of when the sun will rise and set throughout the seasons. For fellow photographers, I definitely recommend checking it out! 

Golden hour is that final hour of daylight (or first light, but that's really stinkin' early), so I like to schedule sessions to end about 30 minutes before sunset. So for a 90 minute session, if the sun sets at 8:00pm, I would want to schedule it from 6:00-7:30pm. I know, you don't usually expect a photo shoot that late in the day! But I promise you, it'll be worth it! 

Here's an estimate of the best time for a 90 minute photo shoot from May-October 2017.

May  ---  6:15-7:45pm

June  ---  6:30-8:00pm

July  ---  6:30-8:00pm

August  ---  6:00-7:30pm

September  ---  5:15-6:45pm

October  ---  4:30-6:00pm

Here is a collage showing some of my favorite sun flares and pretty haze from 2016!