Lets agree that if youre having a photo shoot you want to look good. No squinting, comfortable and in a zen state of mind. If you’re a photographer you most likely know about the golden hour. It’s the magic hour before sunset and the hour after sunrise when you get this beautiful soft golden light that makes everyone look good. In France you have thesè crazy long days in the spring and summer and quite short days in the late fall and winter. We are talking summer sunrises at 5:30am and winter sunrises at 9am. Now 5:30am is daunting for pretty much everyone I know (I mean the metro is barely running!) BUT I strongly encourage having a morning session for 2 reasons:
1) the gorgeous flattering light
2) the fact that Paris is EMPTY in the morning and there are no tourists bumping into you or unintentionally photobombing. Essentially, you feel like the king of the town… it’s great.
This is most important around the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero. In the summer I simply don’t do photo sessions at the Trocadero after 8am. It’s just not feasible. A crowd of thousands of people is not enjoyable for anyone and not at all interesting in portraits.
One of my clients sent me this video of what she wanted the feeling of her session to be, that gorgeous empty morning Paris showered in light… Romantic and simple, styled yet with tons of personality. I’m a big Kylie Minogue girl so I ate it up! However, to do something like this, the morning is the only option.
While I avoid large crowds I also love the look of people walking on the street. The hustle and bustle is a key part to the personality of the city and can definitely add to your picture! So if you want to walk the streets of Montmartre, enjoying the true ambiance, the late afternoon or early evening is the way to go. During this time you can catch people enjoying an aperitif and hear street musicians playing for the crowds.
So the real question to ask yourself when choosing a time for your session is what kind of Paris you would like to have? And if we’re working with kids, what time are they at their peak energy and cooperation? Whatever time you choose and whatever Paris you are after, we will make sure to capture what you are looking for in your session!
So, what do you have to add? What time did you have your photos done? Would you choose the same time again? Any advice for others?
Wishing you lots of happiness and laughter,
Katie
