Photography Tip: Lighting during the Golden Hour

Greetings, Friends!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, there is a new interactive thread I’m starting weekly called #AskAliceShesNice! (but, you know that I’m nice already, right?) 

The series will feature weekly photography tips and tricks, designed to help mommy photographers (and dads too!) of any level elevate their own photographs of their children.  Please feel free to ask questions, post topic suggestions you’d like me to cover, tag & share with friends who might find these tips helpful.

The first tip I shared last night revolves around lighting.  Great lighting is so crucial to great photography.  And because this topic is so vast, I will spend several weeks going over it and the different elements of it.

Tip:  Photograph during the Golden Hour.  The golden hour is when the run rises and when the sun sets…. the time of day when the light outside looks beautiful even, and there is no worry of harsh shadows or blown out areas.  It’s also the easiest time of day to photograph.

Bonus:  If you place your subjects in front of the light source (which in this case is the sun) and expose for their faces,  you can achieve that beautiful “glow” around their hair/heads and really make them pop.  It’s gorgeous.

Camera Settings & Specs:  Canon 5D MkIII, 85mm 1.2L, ISO 500, f/2.8, 1/1000th.  Shot at 8am.