what is the best time to shoot outdoor??

[Mark Suszko]

When somebody’s paying me for it:-)

[Micah Mcdowell]

Well, there is the “golden hour,” the first hour after sunrise or before sunset each day. It certainly gives things a different look… go watch some Terrance Malick films; he’s obsessive about shooting at that time of day only.

[Todd Mcmullen]

It really depends. generally early morning or later in the evening.
This is if your time restraints allow for controlled shooting.
However, if you are on a tight schedule, like most projects these days, then eventually you will have to shoot in less than desirable light.
So if that is the case then you can hope for a few things:
1-its cloudy
2-the scene calls for the hot-high-noon look. (book of eli?)
3-you have no females you need to make look good in the scene
4-you can shoot the wides and silk the close-ups
5-you can block the scene under a tree or some other cover
While it is preferred and ideal to be able to shoot when you want, the reality is that it very rarely happens so you gotta adapt.
hope this helps

Todd McMullen
Flip Flop Films
Austin
http://www.toddmcmullen.com

[Dan Browne]

Depends on your country in some ways I guess. If you are close to the equator there may be less nice light. But my general rule is as long as you can get the hard light behind someone so they are backlit. Then you exposé for the face and maybe use a white reflector to lighten the shadows a little with some soft light.

Dan Browne
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
http://www.indelible.co.nz