Sedona Starlight Portraits: What to Know Before Booking your Session

Sedona Starlight Portraits are a truly unique photography experience. Because our portraits are always crafted in collaboration with nature, it's important to understand how our shoots are different from a typical portrait session. We've put together this helpful guide to the factors that will most affect your shoot, along with some examples to help you understand what to know before booking your session to ensure you create the perfect image you envision.

This Twilight to Starlight blend is a composite image. The foreground and light painting were captured during the twilight hour, and the Milky Way was captured during the stargazing session at the end of the experience.

Stargazing Portrait Sessions vs Twilight Composite Packages The best way to ensure high-quality, sharp, print-worthy portraits is to book one of our extended packages that includes the twilight hour and composite edits. Twilight composites are created by capturing your portraits during the twilight hour, when there is enough light to get you in focus and sharp, even when you're in motion. These foregrounds are then blended with the stars that appear at the end of the session once it gets dark. These images are the cleanest, sharpest, and most striking images we create. Twilight sessions begin at sunset and end with a relaxed stargazing experience while your photographer captures the pristine night sky while explaining the most interesting objects that will appear in your photos.

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The images in the above gallery are all composites. Notice that the subjects are clear and sharp even when in motion

Stargazing portraits are single exposure photographs. They capture you under the sky exactly as it appears during your session. They are often striking silhouettes of your shape against the night sky, or painted with gentle artificial light provided by your photographer. It is not uncommon for stargazing portraits to show faint blur from movement, although your photographer will work with you to minimize this during your session. The focus during these shoots is enjoying world class stargazing and immersing yourself in the experience of being under the Sedona sky.

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The above gallery are single exposures captured during stargazing portrait sessions. Note that conditions and moonlight affect the way the night sky appears.

Both twilight composites and stargazing portraits make for fun experiences and unbelievable images. Our Twilight to Starlight package includes both, and sometimes guests can't decide which are their favorite! If you aren't sure which type of session is best for you, get in touch and we'll be happy to offer our expert advice!

This Light Painting Portrait was captured under a nearly full moon. Note that only the brightest stars in the sky can be seen.

The Moon:

The moon is the single most impactful natural element when making Starlight Portraits. We have a whole blog dedicated to understanding the moon phase and its impact on the images we make, you can read it here. You can also check the moon phase during your visit using this helpful calendar. In short, the moon will affect how many stars are visible, and how well lit the landscape will appear. If you aren't sure how the moon might impact your images, reach out and we can tell you exactly where and when it will appear during your visit.

This Light Painting Portrait was crafted on a cloudy evening at Cathedral Rock

Painted vs Natural Light:

Our portraits can be crafted using entirely natural starlight and moonlight, or they can be transformed into magical scenes through the use of light painting. Light painting is a technique where your photographer introduces light into the scene using specialized tools to create magical and ethereal shapes, designs, and patterns. These images are often the most striking and unique of all our portrait offerings, but they are also the most complex to create. These sessions require some patience, but the results are undeniably the most unique and otherworldly images we create.

This stargazing portrait was captured using a light held in front of the couple.

Location:

Sedona has some of the most amazing outdoor photography locations in America. While your photographer is an experienced night hiker who is familiar with the landscape and will provide headlamps for navigating the trail upon request, it is important to note that Sedona Starlight Portraits is not a guided hiking service. All guests must choose a shoot location they can safely and comfortably reach. To help you choose the perfect location for your Starlight Portrait session, we have created this helpful blog outlining several popular shoot locations.

Ready to Craft Unforgettable Images Under the Stars?

If you're ready to create magical portraits to last a lifetime, book your session now! Still have questions? Get in contact with us and we will be in touch with more information or to schedule a call.

See You Under the Stars!