Quick Takeaways:
If you’re deciding the best time for family photos in Arizona, sunrise or the hours leading up to sunset are commonly suggested. However, the best time for your family depends on the season, location, your kids’ schedules, temperature, crowds, accessibility, and, honestly, when everyone is happiest.
I’ve photographed more than 7,500 sessions, many of them outdoors here in Arizona. I’ve learned that beautiful light doesn’t help much if everyone is hot, hungry, exhausted, or miserable. I’ve also learned that you don’t need perfect golden-hour conditions to make great photographs. While I love sunrise and sunset, families shouldn’t rearrange their lives around a photography rule.
There isn't one perfect time for every Arizona family. Here's how the three options generally compare.
Cooler, quieter, softer
Flexible, but more technical
Warm, convenient, popular
My rule: The technically perfect light isn't necessarily the perfect time for your family. I look at the light, temperature, location and your family's schedule together.
Choosing between sunrise and sunset? Here’s my general approach.
Sunrise is ideal for cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and quieter locations. During Arizona’s hotter months, I recommend morning sessions more strongly.
Sunset works if early mornings are tough, your kids do better later in the day, or evenings fit your schedule better.
And if neither works? That’s okay too. An experienced photographer can work with less-than-ideal light by understanding angles, shadows, available shade, and when to add artificial light. That’s why I don’t believe in always booking golden hour.
Golden hour refers to the time when the sun is low in the sky, shortly after sunrise or before sunset. This window changes throughout the year, and I don’t treat it as a rigid 60-minute rule. I often photograph during the 30 minutes before and after sunrise or sunset, especially when combining natural light with flash. But beautiful light doesn’t vanish when the window ends.
Depending on location, shooting direction, surrounding buildings or mountains, cloud cover, and available shade, I can sometimes use great light beyond the “official” golden hour. The best schedule must work for the people being photographed.
There are several reasons I love sunrise sessions here.
Temperature is the most obvious. In warmer months, the difference between early morning and later can transform session comfort. Morning sessions also mean fewer people at popular spots, easier parking, and fewer distractions.
There’s something nice about having a location mostly to ourselves. But I don’t automatically recommend sunrise because I think every child wakes up cheerful and ready for photos. You know your kids better than I do. If waking up before dawn means misery, sunrise may not be best. The goal is to find great light and make the session enjoyable.
Midday photography can work. Arizona summer heat is a different issue. That’s why I recommend sunrise more strongly in summer. Imagine you’re eight months pregnant in July and want maternity photos in August.
Could I photograph your session later in the day? Absolutely. But if we can meet early before the worst heat, I’ll probably recommend it. I don’t want your session to become an endurance test. The same consideration applies to babies, young children, older family members, pets, and anyone who doesn’t tolerate heat well.
Some Phoenix locations make heat management crucial because there isn’t much shade. Papago Park is a great example. It’s beautiful, but many areas are exposed desert. You can’t assume there’ll be shade whenever needed.
That’s why I keep a first aid kit and instant ice packs in my car. Hopefully, we never need them. But in Arizona, I’d rather have them and not use them than wish I had them when someone feels overheated.
The point isn’t that later photography is impossible. Sometimes there’s no good reason to endure the heat when we have a more comfortable option.
There are plenty of situations where I’d choose sunset instead.
Maybe your kids are terrible in the morning. Maybe getting everyone dressed, fed, and out of the house before sunrise sounds like the opposite of a relaxing family experience. Maybe you’ve got teenagers who’d rather do anything than wake up at 5:00 AM for pictures. Or maybe work, school, and everyone’s schedules make evening easier.
Sunset also gives us the warm Arizona light many families picture for outdoor photos. The trade-off is that popular locations can be busier in the evening, especially during fall family-photo season. That’s something I consider when helping clients choose a location and time. Sometimes a quieter sunrise is worth waking up early. Sometimes sunset makes more sense. Neither is automatically right.
This is probably the most important part of the article.
Think about when your kids are happiest. If you have a toddler who naps at 1:00 PM, I probably don’t want to schedule the session at 1:00 PM just because it’s convenient for everyone else. If your child starts falling apart around dinner, we should consider that before booking an evening session.
Meals matter. Naps matter. Bedtime matters. Medication schedules can matter. Sensory needs matter. And the same goes for adults. If someone in the family has mobility, sensory, accessibility, or medical considerations that make a certain time easier, tell me. I’d rather adjust how I photograph than force your family into a schedule that doesn’t work.
Heat doesn’t just make people sweat. It affects the mood of a session. A child can start happy and then hit a wall after 15 or 20 minutes in the heat. They’re hot. They’re thirsty. They’re uncomfortable. And now we’re asking them to stand, look at a camera, and smile on command. That’s when things can go sideways.
A parent gets frustrated because the child isn’t cooperating. The child gets more upset because the parent is frustrated. Everyone feels pressure. Now we’re trying to create a happy family photograph while nobody is having a good time. I’d much rather prevent that than try to photograph our way out of it.
Your kids don’t have to behave like tiny professional models. Yes, we’ll get the photograph where everyone is looking at the camera. Grandma wants it. You’ll probably want it. We’ll get it. But some of my favorite photos happen just before or after that picture.
Your child laughs. Someone makes a ridiculous face. A toddler decides they’re done with my plan and wants to explore. A kid tackles Dad. Everyone laughs because the pose falls apart. That’s still your family. There’s no reason to be embarrassed because your child is acting like a child. Part of being a family photographer is knowing how to work with kids instead of expecting parents to control every movement and emotion for 30+ minutes.
If you’ve had a photography experience where you felt embarrassed because your children didn’t “cooperate,” that doesn’t mean your family is bad at photos. Sometimes the photographer wasn’t a good fit.
Yes. I shoot in the middle of the day sometimes. Midday isn’t my first recommendation, especially during an Arizona summer, but it isn’t the disaster it’s sometimes made out to be.
Maybe Sunday afternoon is the only time your family can get together. Everyone is dressed after church. The grandparents are available. The kids are ready. And 1:00 PM works. I’m not going to tell you that you can’t have good family photos because it isn’t golden hour.
Midday light is harder. The sun is higher. Shadows can be stronger. I have to pay more attention to faces and light direction. But that’s part of knowing how to photograph outdoors. Photography is painting with light. Sometimes that means finding open shade. Sometimes it means changing the angle of the family relative to the sun. Sometimes moving ten feet changes the photograph. And sometimes I’ll add flash to balance the light instead of relying on the sun.
The sun doesn’t have to be perfect. Your photographer needs to understand what the sun is doing.
If you wear sunglasses outside and we’re doing a session in bright daylight, here’s a tip: Take your sunglasses off before the session instead of waiting for the first photo. Give your eyes time to adjust to the brighter environment. If you step out of the car wearing dark sunglasses, take them off, and immediately turn toward bright Arizona sunlight, you’ll probably squint. Nobody wants a family photo where everyone looks like they’re staring into the sun.
You don’t have to be miserable for an hour. Just give your eyes time to adjust before we start. Around 20 to 30 minutes beforehand can help. And I won’t stand your family facing harsh sunlight and tell everyone to “open your eyes.” There are better ways to handle difficult light.
Another reason I don’t like universal timing rules is that January and July in Phoenix might as well be different planets.
This is where Arizona gives us more flexibility. Afternoon and sunset sessions can be comfortable, and the sun sets early enough that families with young children don’t have to stay out late. November through February are some of the easiest months to choose a session time around your schedule instead of planning everything around the heat.
As temperatures climb, I pay more attention to direct sun and heat at a location. Morning and evening are usually excellent, but recommendations depend on the date and location.
This is when I push for early morning. It’s not because I can’t photograph when the sun comes up. It’s because we’re balancing photography with comfort and safety. If we’re walking through exposed desert terrain in August, doing it early is usually better than during the hottest part of the day.
Temperatures ease, but crowds enter the equation. Fall is family-photo season. Popular parks and desert locations can be busy around sunset, especially on weekends. Sometimes choosing morning isn’t about temperature. It’s about having more room to work.
Absolutely. The best time at one location may not be best elsewhere.
The Salt River is one of my favorite examples because “Salt River” doesn’t describe one single environment. Phon D Sutton, Coons Bluff, and Sheep’s Crossing offer different terrain, backgrounds, and access. There are trees, river reflections, mountains, cliffs, open areas, and shade depending on where we’re photographing. Morning can be appealing due to temperature and crowds, but timing depends on the specific area.
And yes, wild horses sometimes appear around the Salt River. They’re wild animals, though, so I never promise they’ll appear during your session. If they do, that’s an incredible Arizona bonus.
Open desert gives us fewer places to hide from sunlight. That’s when understanding the sun’s direction, backgrounds, and angles becomes important. It also makes temperature a bigger consideration because shade may be limited.
Parks with mature trees offer more flexibility. Shade and filtered light create options that don’t exist in exposed desert.
Buildings can become enormous light modifiers. An urban location may offer open shade, reflected light, and different shooting directions even midday. That’s why I don’t choose a session time based only on what a sunrise-and-sunset website tells me. I need to know where we’re photographing.
Sometimes. If you ask whether 4:00 PM is a good time without a date or location, I can’t give a useful answer. Four o’clock in December is different from July. The location matters too. At one park, I might have trees and shade. At another, we may be in exposed desert. Instead of asking whether a clock time is “good,” I’d rather ask: What will the light, temperature, and location be doing at that time? That’s a more useful question.
We’ll figure it out. Cloud cover can soften difficult light. Trees can provide shade. Buildings can create open shade and reflected light. I can change our shooting direction. I can use flash. We can choose a location that suits your availability. And if an indoor or studio session makes more sense, that’s an option too. Sunrise and sunset make certain things easier. They aren’t requirements for professional family photography.
If you’re deciding between sunrise, midday, and sunset, consider these questions:
When are your kids happiest?
Are we interfering with naps, meals, bedtime, or medication schedules?
What will the Arizona temperature be at that time of year?
How crowded is the location likely to be?
Is the location exposed desert, a shaded park, river area, or urban environment?
Does anyone have mobility, sensory, accessibility, or heat-related considerations?
Would getting everyone ready for sunrise create more stress than it solves?
Is there a particular look or background you’re hoping for?
Once I know those answers, choosing a session time becomes easier.
I’ve heard the same story from clients for years. They paid a photographer upfront. The kids had a rough day. The session became stressful. Then they didn’t love the photos, but the money was already spent. After such an experience, booking another photographer feels like a gamble.
It’s one reason I keep my free mini-session model. My free mini sessions are 30 minutes with no upfront session fee. I photograph your family and deliver an edited gallery within 2 to 3 business days. Then you decide if you want to purchase any photos. You’re not paying an upfront fee and hoping your kids have a perfect day.
I still want the classic family portrait. I still want everyone looking at the camera. But I don’t need your family to pretend to be perfect for 30 minutes. If your child needs a minute, we’ll adjust. If something funny happens, I’ll photograph it. If the plan isn’t working, we’ll change it. That’s part of photographing real families.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. If one of my scheduled free mini-session dates and times works for your family, it’s an easy way to get updated photos without paying a session fee upfront. After your gallery is delivered, you decide what you’d like to purchase. If you need a specific date, location, or time, or want more flexibility than a mini session, that’s what my custom sessions are for.
And if the only time your entire family can meet is 1:00 PM on a Sunday? Tell me. We’ll look at the location, weather, light, and your family to find the best way to make it work. Because the best time for family photos isn’t necessarily the time a photography rule tells you to use. It’s the time that gives us the best combination of light, comfort, and a family that’s ready to be photographed.
Want to see what dates and locations are coming up? Browse my upcoming FREE mini sessions and find a time that works for your family.
Free 30-minute mini-sessions across Arizona. You only pay for the photos you love. No pressure, just real photos of real people.
