Taking pictures in morning & Evening

Introduction

Being in the right place at the right time is an important aspect of photography. Pictures taken in the middle of the day are quite different from those taken in the early morning or late evening. Below are some examples that illustrate how images taken at different times of the day can vary dramatically.

As a general rule, most photographers consider the middle of the day the worst time to capture landscapes. At midday the sun casts very little shadow, reducing the three-dimensional elements in the picture.

Also, when the sun is high the light is stronger. This tends to diminish the colors in landscapes, leaving them with a flat effect.

Midday (Boulter, ON, Canada)

Sunrise is considered the prime time of day to photograph landscapes.  As the sun rises, multiple layers of the landscape appear through the mist. These layers can bring a strong three-dimensional quality to your photograph.

In addition, when the sun is close to the horizon its light passes through a larger amount of the earth’s atmosphere before it reaches the ground.  As you can see in this picture, the resulting light is pleasing to the eye because of its softness and warmth.

Sunrise (Boulter, ON, Canada)

Sunset is another good time of day to take pictures of landscapes. The evening sun casts different shadows than the morning sun. These distinctive shadows lend an intriguing quality to photographs such as the urban landscape shown here.

The light at sunset is warm, adding an orange and red tint to the landscape.

Cappadocia (Turkey)

Conclusion

While it isn’t always possible to take advantage of the natural lighting at sunrise and sunset, the benefits inherent in morning and evening photo shoots is something you should take into consideration when engaging in landscape photography.