Staying Up for Spring + Summer Sunsets // Seattle Family Photography
You know those ultra glory photos that make your jaw drop? You know what I’m taking about… THE GOLDEN HOUR. As you’ve already seen here on my site, I photograph in many different light conditions and have learned to make it work. But that said, there IS SIMPLY NOTHING like being photographed in beaming golden light.
When I first started my Seattle photography business, I lacked major confidence. I started it on a whim with my sister after realizing that I could actually make some extra cash doing something I already did for fun for a long time. Very quickly I started actually booking families and realized I needed a better plan. I often let my clients decide where their sessions would be and I would have not provide any real direction or expectations. Wonder how those went? You could probably guess. I knew I could do better in producing higher quality sessions and images and knew that I needed to make some key changes.
This big recent change has been photographing mainly in GOLDEN HOUR times. This concept took me a while to go get to this point because I also wanted to master photographing in ALL LIGHTING CONDITIONS, not to limit myself to the limited golden light we get here in Seattle. I was fearful that my clients wouldn’t want to wake up early or stay up late… boy, I was wrong. It turns out most of like that delicious golden light, too.
If' you’re reading this and wondering, how the heck do I do with early bedtimes? I get it, I’m a mom of two littles, too. Here’s a couple tips I give my clients on this:
Keep the day of your session laid back, if possible. Don’t go change your routine majorly the day of our time together.
If your kiddo naps, put them down for a later nap the day of our session. A parenting hack: drive around hoping for a little nap from an older kid or a second car nap on the way to your session.
Once your kid is awake and sees the open space I’ve chosen for them to run freely in, pretty much everyone has a great time. Think of it as a fun treat for everyone and an evening to remember on a positive note… that ends with gorgeous glowing images.
If your family is really struggling with the idea of keeping your little ones up late, I suggest sunrise or even sunset in the autumn as an option for your family session.
Have questions or comments on Golden Hour Sessions? I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to comment below or message me directly.