The Right Light

If I had a time stamp on my photos, you would notice that many of my images are shot in the late afternoon/early evening. There is actually a specific time when I like to shoot called “the magic hour”. It’s the 40 minutes before sun sets and about 20 minutes after the sun dips below the horizon. During this time, the quality of light is warm and flattering on anything in its path - which makes my job easier.

Sunset beach shoot. Different angles create different light.

It’s especially great light for photographing dark or black dogs. The low angle of the sun helps create separation and depth, allowing you to see more detail in the face and fur.

Other tips - shoot with your back to sun to capture images that take advantage of the light shining on your subject. Shoot facing the sun if you are looking back-light your subject. Move around and see how the image changes depending on where the sun is and the angles you are shooting from. Lastly, the “magic hour” isn’t just for us professionals. You can use your phone and take some pretty amazing photos. You just need the right light.

Photo credit: Tess Schmidt (daughter...and budding photographer)