The Best Time to Take Photos

I do not consider myself a professional photographer in any way, shape, or form. I do however happen to live and hang out with one every day. See also: My mother. I pretty much learned everything I know from her. We both agree that you don’t necessarily HAVE to go to school to be good at photography or anything for that matter, but it doesn’t hurt. Since I have the mom in my corner, she can show and tell me all the tips and tricks I need to know, which segues us into when to take the best photos for just about anything.

I’ve talked about Golden Hour and Blue hour in my post about How to Take Better Photos. I think pretty much everyone knows about Golden Hour and how great photos come out during that time because the sun is rising or setting. Taking photos or video when the sun is at its apex will oversaturate colors and create shadows in/on your subject. Of course, if this is the effect you’re going for then, by all means, take photos from noon to late afternoon.

So when is the best time to take photos for your blog or Instagram feed? That answer is overcast weather – technically not a time, but a type of day. Anyway, during the overcast day, the sun still has to be shining through the clouds to create filtered light. A rainy day probably won’t be too ideal. If it’s too gloomy, your pictures will come out fairly dark.  Although that is a cool effect, it’s not exactly the look I’m talking about. The kind of day I’m talking about is when it’s cloudy, but you could still wear sunglasses due to the reflection of the sun.

The filtered light through the clouds basically creates a natural filter, just like golden hour. Colors are ultra-saturated and there are not nearly as many shadows ruining your pictures. This effect also works when you’re inside and maybe shooting flat lays or product photography. Think of the overcast weather like a thin white sheet over the sun.

Next time you encounter an overcast day and think it’s just a gloomy ugly day, think of all the photos you could capture and create incredible content for your blog, Instagram feed, or website. Who needs a ring light or a box light when you have the sun, the clouds, and a camera. I know that was corny, but it’s true!

Thanks for reading!

ChelsiKay