What Is The Best Time Of Day For Maternity Portraits? | Kukuaβs Maternity Portraits
Perhaps the most important aspect of GREAT maternity portraits is the quality of the light. While Photographers do not expect clients to be experts on lighting, having a basic understanding is helpful. Here are some basic concepts of light. As well as my opinion on what is the best time of day for maternity portraits.
The Basics Of Light
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One of the most common misconceptions about light is that the more there is, the better. For example, at noon there is a lot of light and this MUST be a great time for portraits. While you definitely need light to take portraits, all light is not created equal. When evaluating light, you want to consider the amount of light, the quality of light and the direction of the light.
The amount of light is pretty easy to understand. You need light to take pictures π If there is not enough light, you can either adjust your camera settings or add light with a βflash.β Your Photographer will have an understanding on the proper camera settings and when it is time to add light π
The quality of light is a little more advanced. When it comes to quality, there is harsh light and soft light. For most portrait situations, soft lighting is going to be the most flattering. Soft light occurs when there are little or no transitions between the highlights and shadows on a subjects face. Certain times of day have an abundance of soft light.
Lastly, the direction or angle of the light is also important. For outdoor maternity portraits, the main light is going to be the sun. The softest and most flattering light will depend on the angle of the sun. When the sun is REALLY high in the sky, this creates harsh and unflattering light. And when it is low in the sky, it creates soft light. Soft light is good π
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Two Rules For Taking Portraits Outside
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Now that you have a basic understanding of light, there are just two rules. Firstly, you will always want your back to be facing the sun. By doing this, it will ensure that you will not be looking into the sun. It also ensures that the light on your face will be completely shaded (soft light). The second rule is to always be positioned in the softest light. At certain times of the day, all of the light will be soft. For example, overcast days or in the early morning or in the evening. Most times of the day, there will need to be shade in order to create soft light for maternity portraits.
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So β what is the best time of day for maternity portraits?
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With all of this being said, the best time of day for maternity portraits is going to be when there is enough light (amount of light), that is soft (quality of light), and at a great angle (direction of light).
For most days, this is going to occur as the sun is rising and when the sun is setting. Depending on the time of the year, the sun will rise at 6 or 7 am, for example. This is often WAY too early for people to wake up and take pictures! So the next best thing is going to be in the evening. About an hour or so before the sun is set to set. The closer your session is scheduled to the time the sun is rising or setting is going to be the best time of day π So if the sun is scheduled to set at 8 PM, for example β 5 or 6 PM is going to be MUCH better than 12 PM. But a session from 7-8 PM will be the best time of the entire day for outdoor portraits.
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So now you know the answer to the question β what is the best time of day for maternity portraits π If you are looking to schedule maternity portraits, the best way to reach me is through the contact from on my website. Thanks!
