In the photography world, we like to talk about "golden hour."  It's this beautiful time about an hour before sunset when we get this gorgeous glowy sun that we can place behind the subjects we are photographing. You really can't beat this time of day for photos and I rarely take photos at any other time of day. But as you know, in the summer, this gets pretty late for little ones and for some kids, this can be a challenge for various reasons. I do have a blog post that shares ideas for how to prepare your kids for an evening session, but for kids who consistently go to bed right at or near 7, even these tips might not make for a happy kid during a 7 o'lock photo session. 

So what's the next best option if golden hour won't work? Schedule a morning session as close to sunrise as possible. 

This family session was taken between 9:30 and 10:30 in the morning. You can see, the sun is already pretty high in the sky so you won't see sun flare in the background like you might in a sunrise or sunset session, but it's still low enough that we were able to get photos that aren't covered in midday shadows.  

Location considerations for a morning session:

Choose a location that has something to help diffuse the light. Trees work great! 

Now enjoy this adorable family who had a great time exploring the beautiful Columbia River Gorge with me this weekend! 

Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Little girl playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge.
Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge.
Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge. Family playing in the Columbia River Gorge.