Romantic shots filled with golden light — this is how my clients often describe their dream photo session. How do we achieve it? Very simply — we shoot on a clear day at sunset.
What is so special about the setting sun? Directional, side light with a warm hue, long and soft shadows, and sometimes even a luminous golden haze make photos taken at this time magical. In Küssnacht am Rigi, Zug, and Lucerne, sunsets look exceptionally beautiful.
Here you can see more of my portrait sessions at sunset
Does this mean that sunset is the only time of day when we can do a portrait session? Of course not!
Photo Sessions at Dawn
Another (and according to many — the first and most beautiful) time of day when photos look particularly favorable is dawn — with its cool colors, morning haze, and calm atmosphere. The difficulties in organizing a session at this time are mainly logistical. Even in Switzerland, where the sun rises relatively late, to start a session, for example, at six in the morning, you would need to get up by four at the latest. That’s why you won’t find many dawn photos in my portfolio. However, if you like getting up early, I would gladly do such a session for you. Choosing the right location is also important — for example, Küssnacht am Rigi in the early morning is immersed in deep shadow, so it’s not a good place for a dawn session. Better places would be somewhat flatter areas near Albispass, close to Zug.
Photo Sessions After Dark
Although photos taken during the so-called “blue hour” (up to an hour after sunset) often have a grainy texture due to low light, the intense, mysterious atmosphere more than makes up for it! It is a unique moment for creative photo sessions using additional light sources.
Photo Sessions in the Middle of the Day
What about photo sessions in the middle of the day? I try to avoid shooting sessions at noon or early afternoon. The inability to get golden light at this time is the least of the problems. The high sun casts short, strong shadows on the model’s face, also shading the eyes, so the person photographed in midday sun does not look favorable. That’s why, whenever possible, we choose a different time of day for the session.
Sometimes there’s no choice — often your wedding, birthday, or other event I’m photographing happens during midday hours. Then we simply have to adapt to the light. We’ll take photos on the edge of shadows cast by buildings or (if photographing one or two people) use lights and reflectors. Just remember that at this time of day, there are fewer places where photos will look good. So: a group photo at noon, in the middle of a lawn, with a lake in the background — is not necessarily a good idea.
See my wedding session portfolio
Photos on a Cloudy Day
If your wedding or other event happens on a cloudy day, the absence of sun is not a problem for the photographer. Sunlight filtered through clouds guarantees even, almost shadowless lighting, in which photographed people can look very flattering. And although the photos won’t have a blue sky, it doesn’t mean they won’t be beautiful!
See the offer for wedding and portrait photography
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