The Perfect time of the day to shoot wedding photos
Your wedding day will be one of the most magical and beautiful moments in your life, so finding the right wedding photographer to take your pictures for you is essential. Furthermore, when it comes to taking great wedding photos, lighting plays a huge factor, so figuring out the best time to have your wedding portraits is crucial.
Good lighting can truly compliment peoples’ faces, outfits and the environment around them. Conversely, overly harsh lighting can make pictures come out looking odd (que awkward shadows on the face) and too-little lighting can simply make the subjects in a photo hard to see.
So, when’s the best time for you to take photos for your wedding?
When’s The Best Time To Shoot Wedding Photography?
No two weddings are exactly alike, so no two wedding photography shoots will be alike. How your wedding photographs look should depend on what you and your partner want to commemorate your special day, with helpful advice from your talented wedding photographer.
Therefore, there is no set ‘best’ time to take photos because it depends on what you want, how you envision the day going and so many other little factors. When you hire a flexible and creative wedding photographer, you can make basically any time of day work.
Of course, every time of day offers different benefits and conditions that your photographer can take advantage of. Before you set your mind on a specific time, you should consult with your wonderful photographer to see what time would work best with what you want. We’re pros at helping you put together a timeline for the day.
A few times that you could consider for your perfect wedding photos are:
Early Morning. In the morning, the light is soft and gentle and allows the true nature of the bride and groom to be seen. This gentle lighting means you won’t see as many harsh shadows, which can lead to photos that have more delicate and peaceful qualities. If you want pictures with a clean and tender atmosphere, you may want to consider getting your photographs taken in the early morning. Obviously this can come with its own unique set of issues around planning, so maybe a post wedding shoot would suit you for this. You can get all dressed up again on another day and we can head out somewhere fun, catching the sunrise.
Late Morning Or Late Afternoon. If you and your partner want photos with striking shadows and more vibrant colours, taking them in the late morning or late afternoon may be for you. During these times, if the weather is right, the light is also a lot more directional than during the early morning. So, this can be an ideal time to find some cool shadows and capture memories in the shade.
Golden Hour. This time of day is undoubtedly one of the most popular times to take wedding photos, and for a good reason - the beautiful light of the sun can give you and your partner a wonderful warm glow that compliments the love that you share. Golden hour takes place two times every day, during the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. During these times, the sun is positioned just right to bathe the area in gorgeous golden light, hence the name ‘golden hour.’ This time often hits right around the reception when you're in the middle of dinner, speeches and partying, so what I find quite helpful is if we break up your portrait session into smaller chunks. This way i can nip out with you both for 10-15 minutes during the beautiful light and you won't be missing much time with your guests.
Nighttime. Although this time of day isn’t as popular as golden hour or early morning, your nighttime photos (especially if just after sunset when everything turns a little blue) can look absolutely stunning when you work with a talented and creative photographer. The biggest issue with taking pictures at night is that there’s not as much natural light to work with, so you must use artificial lighting. But, there are many ways to make artificial lighting gorgeous through things like fairy lights or neon signs. I also always bring with me a couple of flashes, so we’re good to go in any lighting situation.
Once you have your heart set on a specific time of day, there will still be much more to think about but i’ll be there to chat through this with you (or you can leave it completely in my hands). These details can include the vibe of your photos, which comes down to the location we’re in and who’s there with us. How everyone will be posed - I tend to work in a more relaxed vibe with lots of movement, and many more.
Although this might seem like a lot, you should never forget that your wedding photographer will be there to help you with everything along the way. They will have the proper knowledge and experience to know what works and what doesn’t. With their expertise, your photos will be one of a kind. It’s super important to find someone you have full trust in to do their thing, so you both literally just need to turn up and have a good time.
What Else Should I Think About When Organising My Wedding Photos?
Where Can I Find A Creative And Talented Wedding Photographer For My New Zealand Wedding?
Are you looking for a friendly and gifted photographer to help you capture the magic of your and your fiance’s special day? I’m totally passionate about making some amazing photographs of my couples that they’ll cherish for years to come, and super thrilled to offer you my services.
I understand that you and your partner want the day to be fantastic, and i’m 100% here to help you out in any way I can. If you have any questions about the best times to photograph your wedding portraits or anything else about shooting gorgeous photographs for your wedding, please reach out through my contact page or at hello@franklyfaye.co
I love what I do, and can’t wait to hear from you!
Be ready for a gallery full of imperfectly perfect photographs of your wedding with help from Frankly Faye!
Two souls, one story
No story is one and the same. Yours will be finessed to share your unique journey.
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