Taking great vacation photos isn’t always a walk in the park.
You have to navigate hundreds — if not thousands — of tourists all vying for the same shot, with the blinding glare of the midday sun making it nearly impossible to do anything but squint in the camera’s direction, and if you’re attempting to snap the picture on your own, your photo will likely come out overexposed and oddly-angled, because it was the only way to get everyone’s phone/selfie stick/head out of the frame.
Skip the hassle, skip the crowds, and skip the poor lighting.
Whether you’re braving the challenge on your own, or you hire a vacation photographer to capture your memories for you, here are the best times of day to take vacation photos, wherever your travels lead you.
Flytographer: Marta in Venice
Flytographer: Melanie in Bermuda
Flytographer: Roberta in Rome
Take advantage of off-peak hours
Picture it — the quiet majesty of the Pantheon, or the crowd-less, cobbled streets of Santorini.
These aren’t exactly things you’ll get to photograph on a midsummer’s afternoon.
When it comes to travel photos, the early bird most certainly gets the worm.
Hit the streets before 9 am to snap stunning, crowd-free photos of iconic landmarks and scenery to beat the rush that will inevitably come as the sun continues to rise in the sky.
Sure, setting an alarm on vacation may be tough to fathom at first, but you’ll reap the benefits of an early start when you’re revelling in your travel memories with flawless photos for years to come.
Flytographer: Kimon in Santorini
Bask the warmth of the early morning sun
Recognized by expert photographers around the world as the “golden hour” for outdoor photos, a morning shoot closely following the rising of the sun is a great way to guarantee richness and warmth for your vacation photos that you can’t get in the harsh afternoon light.
Save your vacation memories the tragedy of washing out in the sun with a natural, golden filter that will serve only to heighten the beauty of what surrounds you.
For photos straight out of Condé Nast (or Passport Magazine), beat the sun before its peak for perfectly captured bursts of colour as the light pours gently over the landscape.
We promise you won’t regret it.
Flytographer: Marie in Maui
Capture an evening glow just before sunset
Okay, so not everyone can be a morning person, and we can’t say we blame you if you’re looking for an alarm-free vacation.
Who couldn’t use a few extra winks, anyway?
For the ultimate #nofilter moment, take advantage of the other golden hour of photography for a soft glow that no Instagram filter can replicate.
Use the hour before sunset to take the warmth of the golden hours a step further with added dimension as the low-hanging sun casts long shadows across the landscape for just a touch of drama.
We can’t guarantee you’ll beat the all the crowds, but this can be perfect for off-the-beaten-path vacation photo shoots in reduced traffic areas.
Flytographer: Bayu and Ivony in Bali
Flytographer: Silvia in Amsterdam
Don’t shy away from a few drops of rain
Instead of cursing the cloudy skies, take a rainy day as a gift from Mother Nature herself.
For exceptional portraits, use the coolness of overcast to keep the sun diffused and the shadows off your face at just about any time of day, or take advantage of the reflective nature of shallow puddles and damp streets to bring your photos to new, creative heights.
And hey, if you’re brave enough to step out into the rain, you may just get rewarded with a rainbow for your troubles.
Keeping to the golden hours of photography is a sure-fire way to guarantee yourself gorgeous outdoor photos year round, and our Flytographers will be there every step of the way to capture your vacation memories for the ultimate travel souvenir.
Ready to hit the streets?
