What is the best time of day to shoot landscape or building?

[tecboy]

I usually like to shoot in very early in the morning, because less distractions form cars and people, and I get less hard light and shadow. Sometimes, I like to shoot under the cloudy day. Thought?

 

[gsgary]

For buildings you want hard light, well

 

[CameraClicker]

Depends on what building and what you want to emphasize. For the right building with lots of glass and incandescent lights, the blue hour is great. Other buildings do well with the golden hour. Some look good at noon on a cloudless day. Sometimes you need that light to get down into the canyons in a city full of high rise.

Many landscapes look great with morning fog, others look great with afternoon sun, some even look good at night.

It depends.

 

[Derrel]

Whenever the shot you want comes together is "the best" time. That might vary from building to building; some buildings face east,some west,some north, and some buildings face south. Some are shaded early, some late. There is no, one,single best time for buildings as a whole. Cloudy days might be ideal, for some shots; other shots might look better with a good, deep, solid shadow for a three-dimensional effect. It just depends on what the shot is supposed to look like and what the building's physical location is like.

 

[KmH]

The light changes at any specific time throughout the year as the Earth's orbit moves around the sun and changes the sun's changes position in the sky.
So the best time of day in the winter will be different than the best time of day in the summer, spring, or fall.

 

[Parker219]

I usually like to shoot in very early in the morning, because less distractions form cars and people, and I get less hard light and shadow. Sometimes, I like to shoot under the cloudy day. Thought?

Hmm, I would say I DONT like shooting on cloudy days.

I agree with what everyone else said as far as "it depends" on a lot of other factors / situation and what you are trying to do.


So if you like cloudy days, are you telling me that you like photo 1 better than photo 2?



1. 6826-SP-3MLSJPG by linktheworld219, on Flickr



2. RE-1-4 by linktheworld219, on Flickr


I went back to this house specifically to reshoot the exterior during a better time of day. At least I think the second is better.

 

[Josh66]

The light changes at any specific time throughout the year as the Earth's orbit moves around the sun and changes the sun's changes position in the sky.
So the best time of day in the winter will be different than the best time of day in the summer, spring, or fall.

And if we're talking about a building, the direction that the side of the building you're shooting is facing will be a pretty important factor too.

 

[Designer]

There is no "best time of day". The best time to make a photograph is when the light is right.

 

[WayneF]

Hmm, I would say I DONT like shooting on cloudy days.

I agree with what everyone else said as far as "it depends" on a lot of other factors / situation and what you are trying to do.

So if you like cloudy days, are you telling me that you like photo 1 better than photo 2?

At least I think the second is better.

House: The first one is only poor because it is blue. It would be much improved by proper white balance. Just click the WB tool on the garage door helps greatly (a bit warm then, still better).

 

[runnah]

Any time but mid day.

 

[D-B-J]

For landscapes it depends--each one is different. I can't say "in general" on any yet... some are good in morning, some afternoon, some evening, some none at all.

Jake

 

[astroNikon]

Night time, under the moonlight with the stars in the sky

 

[tecboy]

For buildings you want hard light, well

Hard light, right? Looks like this light takes out a lot of details.

 

[Josh66]

For buildings you want hard light, well

Hard light, right? Looks like this light takes out a lot of details.

View attachment 82951

The front of the building is pretty much all in shadow. (It may have been hard light where you were standing, but it wasn't where the front of the building is.)

That's what I meant when I said that the direction the building faces is a factor.

It looks like the front of that building faces North - if so, good luck getting it in direct sunlight.

 

[Arthur53]

Find some interesting local shots and take at different times of day and year.
I like the sky in the 2nd house shot so my vote is the 2nd version.