Outdoor photography in the Algarve: the light, the beach and the right time of year

I have lived and photographed in the Algarve for years, and I still haven't got used to the light here. There is one hour at the end of the day when everything softens: the sea calms down, the sand turns golden and skin loses its hard shadows. That is the hour I book outdoor sessions for, because that light does half of the work for me.

We call it golden hour, and it is literally the last hour before sunset. This isn't a technical detail for photographers only — it is the difference between a photograph where you are squinting into the sun and a photograph where you are simply looking at each other. So when we plan an outdoor session, the time isn't negotiated with me. It is negotiated with the sun. In winter that can mean five in the afternoon; in July it can mean half past eight.

The beach is what people ask for most, and I understand why. The clean horizon, the water reflecting the sky, the cliffs behind you. It works beautifully for maternity sessions, with a long dress catching the wind, and for family sessions with children who need room to run rather than being told to stand still. But the Algarve is more than its beaches. There are dirt tracks between orange trees, pine woods with filtered light, fields that fill with flowers in spring. When I want something more intimate and less wide open, that is where I go.

About the time of year, I'll be honest: my favourite months are April, May, September and October. The light is generous, the wind is calmer, it isn't too hot for a baby and the beaches aren't crowded yet. High summer is the hardest stretch — not because of the heat itself, but because the sun rises early and sets late, which pushes sessions into awkward hours for small children, and because the coastal wind can turn a serene session into an exercise in patience. Winter, contrary to what most people expect, gives gorgeous photographs: clear days, empty beaches and low light through most of the afternoon.

A few simple things make a real difference in preparation. Neutral tones and light fabrics that move with the wind instead of fighting it. Layers, because it cools down quickly by the sea once the sun drops. A towel and a change of clothes in the car, especially with children, because they will end up in the water — that much is certain, and honestly it is where the best expressions come from. And shoes that can come off without a fuss.

I always work with a plan B. The weather here is reliable, but it isn't guaranteed, and I have moved sessions because of too much wind or a completely closed sky. I would rather change the date than deliver photographs that don't represent what I know how to do. When that happens we sort it out by message on the day itself and pick another slot.

There are also times when I recommend the studio instead. Newborns in their first days, for example: they need steady warmth, quiet and pauses for feeding, and that is far easier to give them in a prepared space. The same goes for very small babies in winter. Outdoors, I would rather photograph bumps, babies who can already sit up, siblings and families.

In the end, what stays with you from an outdoor session isn't the location. It is the wind in your hair, a father's hand holding his daughter's so she doesn't slip on the sand, the laugh that escapes when a wave reaches further than expected. The Algarve is simply the place where that happens under a light you'd struggle to find anywhere else.