Best time of day to take outdoor family photos

Calgary Family Photographer | Jillian Faulkner Photography

Our incredible city of Calgary and our surrounding communities offer numerous unique and picturesque locations for me to take stunning outdoor portraits of your family! Whether we stay in the heart of the bustling downtown core, head to one of the many incredible parks our city has to offer such as Reader Rock Garden or Riley Park, or take a quick drive out to the mountains, the scenery is absolutely breathtaking! With all that being said, there are optimal times of day that will produce family photos that you will fall in love with! 

So, when is the best time of day to have your outdoor family portraits taken?

Photographers call it golden hour and in my opinion, it is by far the best time of day to capture your family using this incredible light! Golden hour is the time of day just prior to sunset where the sun is positioned lower in the sky, offering a sweep of gorgeous warm hues helping to make everyone look their best! This is why I always recommend to families that we meet for our photo shoot approximately 2 or 3 hours before sunset. 

Golden hour is by far my favourite time of day to take outdoor family photos in our beautiful city!

Now I know all you Calgary mothers out there with little children are cringing right now, because in Calgary during the summer months, sunset is around 10:00pm. Your little babes are usually fast asleep by 7pm and you are about to enjoy your downtime with perhaps a glass of vino…not about to head out for a family photo shoot! I know firsthand myself having two young boys, that it can be hard to co-ordinate such a late evening. However, by allowing your child to have a late nap and dinner before the session will help to put your children in the best mood possible and provide them with enough extra energy to have lots of fun at our outdoor photography session together. And as your children get older, they will be more than happy to extend their bedtime for one evening so you all can be photographed and captured in the best light possible! I know there are some families that just cannot commit to an evening session, due to work schedules and other commitments so what should they do?

Don’t worry, I’ve still got you covered!

The next best option, first thing in the morning!

Two or three hours after sunrise can also produce some pretty incredible images even though the light from the sun can be a little cooler. Your kiddos will be in a great mood because they are rested and ready to take on the day! I can also get creative and use the sun to create beautiful backlight images of your family or perhaps we can go to a unique location and use the scenery around us to shape the sun’s rays! All these options will still provide you with gorgeous family photos to display and share with all of your family and friends. 

Whatever time of day you do end up booking for your next outdoor family portrait session, I will always provide your family with gorgeous natural light photos no matter what time of day! 

Most recently, we all as a nation have been struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic that has truly changed how we are offering family sessions moving forward. A San Francisco Bay Area Family Photographer friend of mine recently posted a great article on tips for working productively from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. A really great read, especially if you have children at home while you work, you should definitely check out!

Ready to book your outdoor family photo shoot?!

Outdoor Family Photography in Calgary

Jillian Faulkner is a professional portrait photographer in Calgary, Alberta offering family portrait photography both outdoors, on-location and in studio. Jillian Faulkner Photography was established in 2010 and is an active member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers. Sessions can be booked in the city of Calgary, or in surrounding communities such as Kanananskis, Canmore or Banff.