Photographing In Golden Hour : The Power of Waiting For The Right Light

photographing in golden hour is the cat’s meow.  it’s what can take an image from a flat and boring image, to an stunning image that is full of light and compelling tones.  golden hour is a short timeframe either right after sunrise or right before sunset.  usually, golden hour and it’s tones last around 2 hours.  the images within this post were all taken around 2 hours before sunset, allowing me plenty of time to capture those rich tones of golden hour.  when it comes to photographing in golden hour, there are so many reasons why you should wait for the right light.  there really is a power in being patient, as the golden hour light will create very compelling photos.

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Photographing in Golden Hour: The Power of Waiting For The Right Light

Rich Warm Tones

one of the best things about photographing in golden hour are the natural rich golden tones that you can achieve straight out of camera.  the tones are truly golden.  during this time, the sun is either rising or setting, allowing you to take advantage of the beautiful light only available during that time.  in the image above, the golden hour tones were not only creating beautiful skin tones on my subjects, but were also casting some rich light onto the surroundings, such as the slide and the golden hues in the dirt on camera left.

Beautiful Sunbursts

because the sun is lower in the sky during this time, you will have an opportunity to create a beautiful sunburst.  the secret to creating a sunburst is using a higher f-stop.  in the image above, i used my nikon and wide angle lens with corresponding settings : ISO 125 | f/16 | 1/25ss to achieve this sunburst.  when the sun is lower in the sky, your sunbursts have the potential to be stronger and more defined because you can shoot through things like fences or trees with the low sun.

Natural Shadows

when the sun is high in the sky, it can cast shadows in ways that aren’t natural nor flattering.  however, photographing during golden hour allows you to embrace the beautiful shadows because they are provided at a lower, and therefore more natural, angle.  during golden hour you can use a variety of lighting techniques such as backlight and sidelight to incorporate the beautiful warm light and to also embrace deep shadows.  in the image above, the sun was in front of them, allowing soft shadows to fall behind the wagon and on the surrounding grass.

Opportunities For Surprise

as you prepare for photographing during golden hour, be ready to be surprised at how the light will bring ordinary things to life.  in the image above, i notice a dead twig while out on an evening walk with my family.  during regular hours of the day, this wouldn’t be very interesting.  however, the beautiful light of golden hour was playing off of the little branches of the twig and bringing a seemingly dead object to life.  this image was take with my nikon and wide angle lens at f/1.4 to create a really soft image.

Golden Hour is Indoors Too

when we think of photographing in golden hour, we think of venturing outdoors.  but really golden hour can be found indoors as well.  be sure to open your blinds during this hour of the day and watch how the beautiful light plays on the walls.  in the image above, i was photographing my daughter in her crib during golden hour.  i loved how the beautiful light was bouncing off of her nursery walls and brought some beautiful golden interest to this image.

photographing in golden hour is definitely well worth it.  by allowing more natural shadows to fall on your subjects and surroundings, bringing things to life through light, creating beautifully rich golden tones and allowing an opportunity for more interesting sunbursts, golden hour definitely earns it’s praise.  as you are preparing to grab your camera, be sure to think through timing and plan your photography outing during golden hour.  i promise you, it will be worth it.

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