8am? Noon? 6pm?

It's hard to know what time works best for photographing interiors. 

And honestly, I wish there was one definitive answer that I could give you. 
But, like most things in life... it depends. 
...on the orientation of the building.
...on the scope of the photoshoot.
...on the type of use of the photos.
...on the time of year and geographical location.

Here are some guidelines to help you figure it out!

If you're only shooting interiors and the views are not a concern...

...I recommend midday.

Why?

• Midday is when you have the sun straight overhead, so it creates fewer streaks of bright light beaming in the windows that potentially look blown out. 

• Also, midday sun is really bright, giving you lots of bright light to bounce (indirectly) inside. 

• The fact that all light is indirect will make the room glow naturally, softening the look and requiring little fill light.

This time of day is best when
your outside views are going to be blown out or relatively faint, but bracketing should allow you to show the views if needed. 

This time of day is not ideal when
you have very large windows, want to feature the views, or want extra drama/moodiness with shadows.

If you're doing interior photos but want to feature the views...

...I recommend early or late day, whichever time has the sun in front of your views.

Why?

• If you're featuring the views, then you'll want to plan for the landscape to look spectacular. 
• The interiors can be lit up or altered more easily than the view.
• Views usually imply a bit of lifestyle moodiness in the images, and that typically calls for a little more shadow. 

This time of day is best when
it's all. about. the view. 
Note that:

• you'll want the time of day when the sun is shining on the view. Think of when you look at mountains. When the sun is behind you and shining on the mountains, it glows in golden light. When the sun is low behind the mountains, you just see the silhouette and a blown out sky. You always want that golden glow. 
• This is where knowing the orientation of your location helps immensely!

This time of day is not ideal when
you're just doing interiors or you want that super bright, white interior look.

If you're doing indoor/outdoor and the exterior view is just a backyard...

...I recommend mid-morning or mid-afternoon, whichever time has the backyard lit up and not in shadow.

Why?

• you'll have enough light to get bright interiors for your bracketing, but the exterior will not be in the harshest light yet

This time of day is best when
you're capturing that indoor/outdoor lifestyle, but the outdoor area is not an expansive landscape.

This time of day is not ideal when
you're capturing expansive views - you'll most likely start getting them a bit too blown out for your typical bracketing.

If you're going for moody dusk images...

...I recommend setting up about 15 minutes BEFORE sunset time.

Why?

• you have a small window of time for capturing these, so setting up early is always smart.
• for anything including an exterior view or space, the time about 20-30 minutes after sunset are fantastic! Setting up a bit before sunset time gives you a chance to get gear in position, lights ready to go and adjust, and a moment to catch your breath.

This time of day is best when
you want moody dusk or are showing off lighting design.

This time of day is not ideal when
you need a bright, cheery, sunshine-y look.

To find orientation…

Not sure about how the sun will hit a building or what orientation a home has on the site? You can:

• Google the address and check out the satellite view. This can tell you a general orientation for the building, which may be enough to guide you for scheduling a session.
• If you want more exact details on how the sun will hit a building, you can use an app like SunSeeker. You can see the sun's path and get a crystal-clear idea of how your shadows will be at any time of day.

At the end of the day, though, rules are made to be broken (seriously!). 

So while this can serve as your guide, don't let it limit you. Experiment, give yourself space to try new things, and have FUN with it!

xo,

Natalia