There's a time of day, loved by photographers, when the light is magical. It's known as the Golden Hour - approximately 1 hour before sunset (or after sunrise, but lets face it that's far too early for most!) when the sun is low and bathes the scene in beautiful, soft golden light. Gone are the harsh shadows and bright highlights! Golden hour light is THE most flattering light for your family photographs.
But it's past my kid's bedtime! I know as a mum that keeping my kids up way past their bedtime for a photo shoot at Golden Hour seems counter intuitive, but trust me it's so worth it. Use whatever tricks you can to get some extra sleep into them earlier in the day - a car ride, a walk in the buggy, anything! Then have a good meal before you leave (my two have so much energy after I've fed them) and pack drinks and snacks for the session.
We have so much fun out in the fresh air and with a new location to explore, you'll be surprised how much energy they have even after their normal bedtime.
A brilliant trick I learnt from one of my recent families was to bring the kids pyjamas with you. Dress them in their pyjamas on at the end of your photo shoot and and pop them straight into bed when you get home!
What should we wear for our Golden Hour Session? Firstly, something you feel comfortable in! Light, summery fabrics work well and the golden sun shining through floaty fabric or a wide brimmed sun hat is magical. We will most likely be walking through fields, so comfortable footwear is recommended. Don't feel that you all have to match! A touch of co-ordination is good though, so try to pick similar tones and incorporate them somewhere in each person's outfit.
As Golden Hour progresses, the light changes and we walk to find more perfect spots to capture the gorgeous sun flare and sparkles!
Your session will be natural and relaxed. I have a posing flow which I work through in your hour's session, although it is a mental tick sheet I have in my head to ensure we get a lovely variety for your gallery, so you probably won't even notice. My aim is for clients to feel that they have had a lovely walk and explored the countryside, oh and we took some photos on the way!
Galleries include family and sibling photographs, but I never forget mum and dad! For many couples this is their first professional photo session since their wedding photographs, so I always find time to make them feel special.
Golden Hour family photography sessions are weather dependent. Dates are released at short notice when beautiful weather is forecast and I only book at very limited number of families to allow for re-scheduling as required to ensure you have the perfect sunset! To find out more and to book your session click here.