Maui Sunrise OR Maui Sunset Wedding?ย โ
What is the BEST time of day for your Wedding or Event here in Maui on in Hawaii?
This image represents the soft directional light as the sun drops and becomes parallel to the horizon at sunset.
Very warm and very flattering!
This image represents Tad Craig Photography exposing for the sunset and adding off camera lighting to light the couple. Notice the light on the couples faces is coming from the side, giving depth & dimension!
This image represents the soft ambient light just after the sun goes down. Notice how even and flattering the light is!
I‘ve been asked this question so many times that I am finally answering it. Of course this also applies to engagements, family portraits or any other photoshoots.
As a Pro Photographer I look at this from the QUALITY of light point of view & trying to deliver the very best to my clients !ย
So, let’s talk geography! Of course this all depends on where you are staying & โWโHERE you want to hold your event.ย
Maui is sort of divided into two different coastal main areas with Maui’s south side towns, all facing west. This includes Kihei, Wailea & Makena. Over on Maui’s West side, the towns of Lahaina, Kaanapali, Napili & Kapalua are also all facing west and of course the sun sets in the west. Only the tiny coastal community of Hana is actually facing east where the sun rises in the morning.ย
The reason for telling you this is that most of the areas where people stay on their vacations are in these towns or little communities, and they are all facing west.
One more point to make on geography. Maui has two dormant or extinct volcanoes, including the 10,023-foot volcano of Haleakala & the extinct and highly eroded volcano of Mauna Kahฤlฤwai.
Mauna Kahฤlฤwai is mostly referred to as the West Maui Mountains and although it is highly eroded since its birth more than 300,000 years ago, it is still about 6,000 feet in height.
So my point here in this Maui geography lesson is that there are two big tall mountains that BLOCK THE ACTUAL SUNRISE in most of the coastal towns where people vacation here on Maui. Only in Hana, Maui do you actually get to see a true sunrise & I have witnessed this myself & it is AMAZING! (Actually one more spot to witness the MOST Extraordinary sunrise of course is on the summit of Haleakala) The Most incredible sunrise I ever experienced was on the summit! (here is a picture from that sunrise)
This image was taken at first light on the summit of Halakala & I think it was the MOST extraordinary Sunrise I have ever seen in my entire life!
Was absolutely stunning……………….and very COLD!
Okay, this is slightly off-topic regarding sunrises or sunsets, but it’s relevant to the time of day & WHY both the Color of the Sky & The Color of the Oceanย โareย so magnificent from early morning to say one pm in the afternoon.
Here is the answer: The reason the color of both the sky and the ocean is so gorgeously stunning some days is because of the ANGLE & STRENGTH of the sun! As the sun continues to climb in the sky the sun’s rays travelโ through less atmosphere & that increases the strength of the sun rays as they light the sky & the water. Also the sun rays travel less distance because the light is more direct which also increases the strength of the sun rays. All these direct sun rays coming down into the water light it amazingly. Sometimes looking out on a super gorgeous morning you can’t believe how pretty it is! (AND I totally agree with you)!
However the flipside of this is that because of the strengthย โof the sun at this time, the shadows on a subjects face or body are much deeper & darker, and can be much more challenging to create pleasing photos in this situation. Luckily I use off camera lighting where I can fill the shadows & balance the lighting. With off camera lighting you can set up a shot & then adjust your position, but still have pleasing light on the subject.
This image was taken mid morning on a really pretty morning but represents the challenge of creating gorgeous imagery midday!ย Note the shadow under the brides chin & low it is. This means the sun was very high in the sky when the image was taken. Also look closely at the shadows on the brides arm & hair. If she had been facing the other way, her face would have been almost entirely in shadows & it wouldn’t be so pleasing as this image is.
One of other point to look at here. I had to (stop down OR darken) my exposure to control the brightness of her dress so you can see the stunning detail of it. When you stop down, you are also darkening the sky/water which shows the fantastic color, but also darkens the shadows.
(back on topic)
Of course it depends on the time of year but if you are on the “South Side”, OR on Maui’s “West Side”, on the beach early in the morning the sun is not peaking over Haleakala or the West Maui Mountains until maybe 7 am and its super pretty! When the sun finally does come up high enough to peak over both of those volcanoes, the light is very beautiful, but it is very strong, intense light that gradually gets stronger and stronger, sometimes with shafts of light & lovely to witness! However, soon after coming up, say 8 am, the light is just very strong light that doesn’t change & my exposures to control this light is around F11 or F16 at 200 of a second. (some of my darkest exposures of the entire day).
To deal with this light as a photographer you either open up your exposure which gets rid of the shadows, but also makes the deep blue sky a faded light blue or a white sky.
(This what “Natural Light Photographers” do to control shadows that otherwise would wreck a picture.)ย
The other way of dealing with it, to control the strong light, is to expose for the bright light by darkening your exposure. By doing this you are also darkening the shadows which become very dark & to fix this issue you have to add light to make the image more pleasant to look at. This certainly helps, but it is still not ideal as the shadows throughout the entire image will be dark.ย
My being a Pro Photographer for more then two decades I have become an expert in recognizing beautiful light & for this reason, personally I much prefer SUNSET photo shoots over Sunrise photo shoots and here is why!ย
On most days in the hour before sunset, the light is also very strong, but very manageable. Then as the sun continues to dip closer to the horizon it just gets softer & softer. This โGoldenย light is the gorgeous, soft, flattering light thatโ us photographers absolutely love! This is due to the angle & direction of the light as it becomes parallelโ to the horizon. Over the years I have become a “sunset connoisseur” & sometimes rank sunsets from 1 to 10, and of course I absolutely love delivering images that look as you remember them from your wedding/event day. To do that I have to expose for the sunset, which actually darkens the foreground and my subjects. Then, I use off-camera lighting to light my subjects. This technique looks dramatic & makes for gorgeous imagery!ย
Here is an example that shows how Tad Craig Photography is exposing for the sunset, then adding soft off camera lighting to light the subjects. Notice also there is a touch of backlighting to seperate them from the back ground!
Then just after the sun drops below the horizon, MY MOST FAVORITE LIGHT of the day magically appears and sometimes lasts only minutes. This is the most flattering light of the day because there is no direct light, only the soft, ambient, last light of the day, which makes for magical photos. I generally try to schedule all my shoots so we are utilizing this time of day & making the most of this gorgeous light & delivering everything I can to my clients!ย
This image was taken at just after the sun has set & utilizing the soft super flattering ambient light. Generally this light only last a few minutes as it gets dark very quickly, once the sun drops.
To wrap things up:
Sunrise photoshoots/weddings can be very beautiful, but are not true sunrise shoots (unless you are in Hana or summit) and when the sun does come over the mountains, most times it is already at FULL STRENGTH and is not the flattering light that makes people look amazing.ย Still pretty, but not the soft, gorgeous, feel-good light us photographers love!
Sunset photoshoots/weddings have a much better chance of getting that gorgeous light when the sun drops & becomes parallel with the horizon. Of course the jaw dropping moment of most all days is at sunset watching mother nature paint her canvas. Then, when the sun does drops below the horizon, that ambient light that remains is the most flattering light of the day!
This soft light is by far the best light to use to make people looks their best and hide imperfections!ย
Basically in the mornings the light is strong and powerful & not very flattering compared to the evenings when you experience a whole change of light & direction of light, followed by the short but super flattering ambient light just after sunset!
That is why Tad Craig Photography prefers Sunset over Sunrise weddings or events!
Follow me on Instagram! @tadcraigphotographyย to see my latest work. Thank You
Totally committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and equitable experience for all Tad Craig Photography ย |ย 120 Baldwin Ave, #791996, HI 96779 ย | ย 808.283.0617ย ย | ย Established in 1999 ย tad@tadcraigphotography.comย |ย ยฉTad Craig Photographyย LLC |2026
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Maui & State of Hawaii LGBTQ+ Wedding Romance Photographer