My daughter and her two friends asked me to take photos of them a couple of weeks back. I was delighted to do it. It’s 13 years old and I would jump at the chance to take a photo of my daughter! After school, one of her friends came with us home and the other was supposed to come meet us at 4pm. The time changed from 4 to 5 pm.
We had to abandon our original plan for taking photos in one of my favourite locations 20 minutes away from my home because the girls took way too much time getting ready. As the light was fading fast, I chose a location only 10 minutes away from our home. By the time we left the house, this location was no longer suitable.
We drove another mile. I saw some beautiful light coming out of the west as I looked through the window. Perfect! Perfect!
This is one of my first pictures. It was taken around 7pm with the sun directly in front of her. This particular evening, the sunset was around 8pm.
I personally love the time between 2-3 hours before Sunset. The light is just perfect. It is at this time of day that the sun is not high enough to create any glare or harsh shadows. Instead, it creates a flattering light that falls on skin.
This little story is to show you that light can change quickly. You should know how fast your light will change. It doesn’t matter if your favorite spot looks amazing at 6pm, it won’t look the same at 4. It won’t even look the same when you wake up at 10am.