Sunrise vs sunset? What time of day should we do our session?

SUNRISE VS SUNSET | PLANNING YOUR HAWAII PHOTO SESSION

You wanna book your couples or family session! Yay! For ideal lighting, I always suggest shooting during “golden hour” which is the hour immediately following sunrise, or the hour leading up to sunset. In Hawaii, it’ll vary by time of year but in the summer, sunrise sessions start at approximately 6:00a. Sunset sessions start around 6:00p.

In the winter months, sunrise sessions start at 7:00a, and sunset sessions start around 5:00p. Click here to check sunrise and sunset times for your exact dates.

When booking your session, I recommend choosing your preferred time of day. From there, I can recommend locations that work well for that time, factoring in driving distance from your accomodations and your vision for your photos. Plus, all of my clients receive my comprehensive Oahu location guide with examples images for each location.

SUNRISE
Sunrise sessions sound dauntingly early, but there are several advantages to shooting at this time of day!
• If you’re traveling from the mainland US, the time change works to your advantage. A 6:00a start time feels like 10 or 11:00a Chicago time, for example. (Hawaii doesn’t practice Daylight Savings Time, so the difference varies by time of year.) This works best if you schedule your session for early on in your vacation before you begin adjusting to the time change.
• Beaches are less crowded
• Temperatures are generally cooler in the morning
• Sunrise often produces pastel skies, and glowy light if we’re shooting at an east-facing location
• If you do your session in the morning, you have the rest of the day free to vacay at your leisure, and you don’t have to worry about being photo ready, and at a certain location at a certain time
• For families with young children, in my experience I’ve found children tend to do better in the mornings when they’re well rested. Of course, this can vary, and you know your child best, but most kiddos will wake near their normal time at home. Plus after a long day in the sun, swimming and playing, some children are just drained by sunset time.

The disadvantages of shooting at sunrise:
• It’s just freaking early for some, and maybe the idea of getting up early on vacation just doesn’t float your boat
• If you want to have hair and makeup professionally done, this would require a very early wake up call

SUNSET
Sunset on the other hand, has it’s advantages as well:
• Golden, glowing light!
• Most North Shore and west side locations have direct views of sunset. If this is important to you, I can suggest locations that fit the bill.
• You’ll have ample time to get ready
• And you’ll have ample time to drive to any location you choose; you won’t be restricted to shooting near your accommodations for convenience
• You can turn your session into a date night, or a special night out with your family, and use the time after to book that fancy dinner or do something special

The disadvantages of shooting at sunset:
• Beaches tend to be more crowded
• Can be hot, especially in the summer months

Did this answer all your burning questions about sunrise vs sunset?! Both times of day are beautiful, and there is no right or wrong choice!
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