What is the Golden Hour for Photography

When it comes to photography, lighting is the main factor that can make an image incredible or just ok. This is particularly the case for outdoor photography as indoor lighting can be adjusted as needed. Outdoor photography is all about natural light, and the golden hour is the best time for excellent lighting and beautiful photography. It is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. We photographers love these hours of the day because when the sun is low in the sky, it’s warm, soft and golden hue can illuminate our pictures beautifully. It is magical!

What makes golden hour so unique?

The lighting during these hours cannot be replicated. You can use different photo-editing tools, but they won’t give you that perfect result. The sun provides us with:

Its warmth: During these hours of the day, the light will be a warm and golden. Hence, all your photos will also have a natural, beautiful glowing effect.

Its softness: During these hours, the sun is near the horizon. Its rays travel through more atmosphere than at any other time of the day. By the time they reach the surface of the earth, their effect is reduced and softened. In fact, the light is so soft that your subject can look straight into the sun and not squint while you are taking photos of them.

What kind of photos can be taken during the golden hour:

Silhouettes: The golden hour is the best time to capture silhouettes. You can make your subject stand in front of the light source and shoot towards the sun to capture beautiful silhouettes.

Long Shadows: Shadows are long during the golden hour because the sun is low in the sky. So, you can capture long shadows beautifully by using them as an element in your photography. You can use your imagination, get creative with your picture composition and take breathtaking shots with long shadows.

Early Morning Fog:  The golden hour provides the perfect opportunity to shoot early morning fog. Capture those beautiful rays of light through the mist and dew drops.

Rim lighting: The golden hour is the best time of the day to capture rim lighting. This occurs when the light is behind your subject causing them to have a sort of glow around them.

You can capture many more landscapes, still life and portrait shots with golden hour lighting.

So, next time you want to have a photoshoot and consider having an outdoor one during the golden hours, it will make it even more magical and unique.