Beach Session: Sunrise or Sunset?

One of the questions I’m often asked when taking picture at the beach is whether it is better to do a sunrise session, or sunset. The answer is more a matter of personal preference, unless you have small children.

Sunrise:
1.  The beach is less crowded, which means more open space. If you wake up early, you won’t have to struggle to find an empty stretch of beach.
2. The skies are typically clearer and there is less haze (unless it’s a foggy morning). 
3.  The temperature is cooler. In Corpus Christi, it can get pretty hot. And if the sun is shining all day, the ambient heat off the sand in the evening makes for a toasty session.
4.  Your little ones are most likely early birds, which means in the mornings they are already up. If you try getting them to be a part of family pictures in the evening, they may be out of sorts from a long day of play. Even if they are happy at home in the evening, getting them to cooperate for a photographer they don’t know may be somewhat taxing.
5.  The sun comes up over the water, so if you want the actual sun over the water in the image, that’s sunrise here in Corpus Christi.

As for you night owls, there are just as many advantages to booking your session an hour before the sun is about to set. 

Sunset:
1.  Throughout the session, the sky will be changing colors. This means you get a variety of pictures that look totally different from one another because sunsets are a continuous light and color changing event.
2.  There is a chance you might get golden hour. If you don’t know what this, it often happens an hour or two before the sun is about to set and it’s just when the sky casts this beautiful golden array which is very flattering for people.
3.  Due to cooler morning temperatures, there can be fog in the morning. Evening has a better chance of not having fog.
4.  You don’t have to wake up early. Who doesn’t like sleeping in? You can go about your day and have more time to prepare and get ready before you have to be at the beach, which sounds like a convincing reason to want to book in the evening!

Ultimately, it is up to you and your family. There are pros and cons to both hours of the day, but it really comes down to what you want, your family, and what fits best in your schedule!