Why ‘golden and blue hour’ is always worth getting up or staying out late for
Any time of day is great for capturing your family, but I always love it when a family tells me they'll meet at the best time for photographs. Any photographer will tell you that this is during the 'golden hour' and 'blue hour' around dawn and sunset. As the light is softer and sometimes mother nature adds extra wonder in the form or a blazing orange sky, most or fog.
This early autumn sunrise was no exception in Knole Park, Sevenoaks Kent. golden hour, combined with the early morning mist, created the most stunning backdrop for this family session with their beautiful six-month-old baby and four-year-old daughter.
On the day I was thrilled to finally meet this family, after our shoot planned in the early summer in another of my favourite places—a stunning wildflower meadow—was UNFORTUNATELY postponed due to poor weather. But, as I mentioned to this family, I truely believe it was fate that we were to meet and capture them that day in the autumn at Knole Park.
I met this wonderful family just after sunrise at their car and walked them to the first session location in Knole, which was just a few minutes away and easy to reach with a buggy.
While Dad and their oldest daughter went off to spot some deer, we took advantage of the misty morning and captured some quiet, intimate moments of Mum and baby together. The sun rays beamed down through the mist, and we were even fortunate enough to capture some rainbow flares.
One thing I absolutely love doing with slightly older children is taking them on a little adventure and playing games to capture lots of candid and natural shots. This session was no exception, and Knole Park is the perfect place for this. Their oldest loved chasing their beloved pet dog, engaging in tickle fights, running rings around Mum and Dad, climbing logs, and hunting for deer and squirrels.
To finish the session we moved to our final destination 50 metres away. To take some final lightly posed, relaxed family shots standing and snuggled up on a blanket together, with their beautiful pet.
The final picture of the day was taken by their eldest, who wanted to give my camera a whirl.
If you'd like to create some magic in the early morning mist or any time of day, whether it's a baby, maternity, or family photography session you are looking for, I’d love to create some beautiful memories for you.