What is a good time of day to do portraits outdoors ?

[Kristan1]

I am just starting out in college for photography, and I am planning on doing portraits of my daughter outdoors in this spring and summer.

Photography books that I own warn against taking photos in the mid-day sun, or any direct light due to the harsh shadows .. So then what IS a good time of day to take photos outdoors, bearing in mind that the sun does stay up alot later in the summer time here, sometimes it stays quite bright out until 7pm.

I generally prefer NOT to use flash (i do have mounted flash) but is it going to be neccesary to use it at all times of day, when I am not in the shade, unless the sky is really overcast - or are there certain times of day which I will be able to take photos outdoors without fill flash ?

I am constantly seeing gorgeous outdoor portraits of families and children who are not in the "open shade" and I am thinking, they can't all have been taken in the early morning, or evening and it must be possible to take photos outdoors in the mid-day, so why is it advised against, and is the solution just to use fill flash.

 

[ElizabethE]

Yes, mid-day is terrible because the light is unflattering... DO NOT take pictures on an overcast day either.. than everything will be washed out... the best thing to do is take pictures during the "golden hour" (either very early in the morning when the sun is coming up or late in the evening when the sun is going down but still highish in the sky) During the day if you have the right settings and arn't in a place where the sun is directly shining a flash will look fine and normal...

Honestly, the best thing to do is practice and learn for yourself. just take your camera and your daughter or maybe a doll and see what looks best.. thats how i learned everything. trial and error. its easier to learn from your own expirence and having digital cameras makes that alot easier these days.

 

[LarryR]

There is no "best" time to do outdoor photographs. Most people will tell you that it's best to do outdoor portraits on a cloudy or overcast day, since you'll avoid harsh shadows, squinting eyes, and have nice soft diffused natural light. Mornings are well if you want cooler colors, evenings better if you want warmer colors.

You should always use a fill flash, even outdoors. It'll help bring out eyes, compensate for exposure differences between your subject and the background and just give an overall more attractive image - but be sure you're using an off camera flash, preferably using a flash bracket but at least a shoe mounted flash.