Hands down, my most favorite time of day to schedule an outdoor photo session is golden hour, the 1-2 hours before sunset. This is when the light is the most dreamy, and adds so much beauty to the photos that it is 100% worth it to choose a golden hour session! In fact, I don’t even offer photo sessions mid-day outdoors on any day. The sun is just too bright and harsh and is not flattering for any subject during an outdoor photo session.
However, I know how daunting it seems keeping the little ones up past their bedtimes for a photo shoot. Isn’t that the time of day us parents are supposed to be putting them to bed and finally relaxing!? It is but I promise you, you will not regret a golden hour shoot especially if you follow the tips below for a successful photo shoot with kids during golden hour!
And if your kids are very young, or you just know, there is NO WAY your child will cooperate after 6pm no matter what you do, I do offer early morning sessions times as well.
Tip 1: A Later Than Usual Nap Time
If your child is still napping, try to put them down a bit later than usual (1 hour) to extend their happy time in the evening! Planning out that naptime can really make a difference later that evening during the photo shoot! If your child doesn’t nap, a car ride in the late afternoon might give them a chance to catch some zzz’s so they have more energy for the photo session!
Tip 2: Plan Mealtimes and Snacks
For a sunset photo session, think about serving dinner to your kids beforehand so they come with full bellies. And then bring their favorite snacks (can anyone say Fruit Snacks!!! This is literally my favorite snack for parents to use since it is not messy and very easy to hand to them) to the shoot for a little sugar pick-me-up! This is especially needed if your child will fall asleep on the way.
Tip 3: Arrive to the shoot location early
Aiming to arrive early accomplishes three things:
First, making sure you’re not late. Getting the whole family out of the house is a chore and I rarely accomplish it on time! Second, it gives the kids a chance to run around a bit and warm up to the location. Third, and probably most important, if your child falls asleep on the car ride over, they will have extra time to get those sleeps in and there’s less likely of a chance of the grumpies when we have to wake them up! In fact, if you already know your child will fall asleep on the way, leave exxtraaaaa early so they can get a full REM cycle in and you have even more time to wake them up slowly and give them a snack upon arrival! haha
Tip 4: Make It Fun!
Talk to the kids beforehand about how much fun it is going to be! Emphasize that there will be lots of playing! Don’t show any stress or anxiety before or during the shoot because kids immediately pick up on it!
Tip 5: Schedule nothing else that day
Photo session day should have nothing else scheduled prior to the session. It is not the day to schedule a check up with the pediatrician, go to the bounce house, have playdates, etc. Keep it as low key as possible. If your kids are in daycare or preschool that day, have them rest afterwards as much as possible with TV, a car ride, or something else similar.
I hope this helps you plan for your next golden hour photo session! For even more tips for a successful family photo session, check out this blog post where I dive deeper into how to get smiley and happy little ones!!!
