As a family photographer, one of the most common questions I receive from my clients is, “What is the best time to schedule our Colorado Springs Photography session?” While there are many factors to consider, one of the most important is the timing of the sunset. I only schedule sessions during golden hour, which is the hour leading up to sunset. For this reason the timing of sunset is so important for scheduling family photography sessions!
Sunset time is crucial to consider because it greatly impacts the quality of your photos. Natural light is the key to achieving beautiful and vibrant images, and the light during golden hour is particularly magical. During this time, the light is softer with a warm glow that adds an extra level of beauty to your photos.
When Scheduling your Colorado Springs Photography Session Take the Following into Consideration:
1. Consider the age of your children and their schedule
As a family photographer I know that a photo session at 8pm is not always feasible for families with young children. The timing of the sunset varies throughout the year, with earlier sunsets occurring in the fall and spring months. This can be a great option for families with young children who go to bed early or who prefer to have their photo session earlier in the day. If your children go to bed early, scheduling your photo session during summer when golden hour is late in the evening may not be the best option. However, if you children typically take a late afternoon nap you may not want to schedule your session too early either.
2. Plan around your family’s schedule
Scheduling a family photo session can be a challenge, especially if you have a busy schedule with work, school, or extracurricular activities. Sometimes later sun set times work best for busy families! In that case scheduling your session during the summer might be your best option.
3. Consider Location
Because of the way the sun sets behind the mountain in Colorado Springs, location affects sunset time as well. Locations closer to the mountains have an earlier sunset time. This can be helpful when planning your session because we have a little bit of control over the sunset time. If you want summer photos but your kids go to bed early we can use a location close to the mountains to have the session as early as possible! I love the flexibility this allows.
4. Consider the season
Sunset times change over the course of the year! The earliest sunset times are during the winter months. Spring and fall also offer earlier sunset times as well. Summer offers the latest sunset times.
Sunset Times for your Colorado Springs Photography Session
I thought it would be helpful to share session start times throughout the year. I am using Garden of the Gods for this, as it is my most popular session location! These times are only approximate because remember location effects sunset time as well. After you choose a location for your session we’ll finalize the start time of your session!
January- 3:15pm- 3:45pm
February- 3:45pm- 4:30pm
March- 4:30pm- 6:15pm (Daylight Savings Begins)
April- 6:15pm- 6:30pm
May- 6:30pm-7:00pm
June- 7:00pm- 7:15pm
July- 7:15pm – 7:00pm
August- 7:00pm- 6:15pm
September- 6:15pm- 5:15pm
October- 5:15pm- 4:45pm
November- 4:45pm-3:15pm (Daylight Savings Ends)
December- 3:15pm
Book your Colorado Springs Photography Session
You can easily book your session through my online calendar! If you have any questions about sunset times or anything else you can reach me through my contact form.
For more information check out my pricing, portfolio or learn more about me!
Alysia Loerch is a Colorado Springs Photographer that specializes in outdoor sunset photo sessions for the adventurous family.
