Light is one of the most important aspects of photography. As a photographer, I'm always studying how the light is falling, how it is adding too, or taking away from a moment.

The best time of day for outdoor family photos is 1-2 hours before sunset. This time of day is referred to as the "Golden Hour" because of the lower sun creating a golden look and beautiful backlight opportunities for photos. Having the sun lower in the sky means more flattering light for family and maternity photo sessions. The location does impact the exact time we would start, (some locations have no ability to filter sunlight so we would want to start earlier, while other locations - like the one shown in this post - have great spaces for filtering the sun so you can start a closer to two hours before sunset).

The exact time of day will also vary by the time of year. In the winter and fall months, sunset is much earlier. While spring and summer days are longer, and golden hours are later.