Ideal Light & the Magic Hour
For portraits, the warmth, depth, texture, form, contrast, and color in photographs are dramatically affected by the angle of sunlight as the sun crosses the sky. When the sun is low on the horizon in the early morning or late afternoon, photographers are gifted with a diffused light that's often gold or orange in hue and ideal for portraits. Since the sun is in this position for a relatively short period of time, photographers call these two times of day--near sunrise and sunset--the "magic hour."
In the morning hours, as the sun begins to climb across the sky, the sun becomes a harsh light source--and harsh light sources aren't generally very complementary for portrait photography. This "hard" light causes deep, dark, and distinct shadows on facial features and underneath the eyes. Although problems with harsh light can sometimes be addressed using open shade or flash photography, these techniques don't create the same visually pleasing effects you'll see when I'm using the natural warm natural sunlight found during and near the magic hour.
