The Golden Hour in photography refers to time of day which is one hour before sunset or one hour after sunrise. This is when the sun is the softest and everything has a 'golden' hue. This time of day can create for some stunning photographs, but is not the only time to get great images. Now, you need to know, I am NOT a portrait photographer. That doesn't mean I haven't done portraits, I have, but my choice is landscape, cityscapes, and street photography. A lot of people like the "golden glow" when doing portrait photography and not having harsh sunlight to cast shadows can make it so you don't need to use fill lights. With that being said, here one of my images taken in direct sunlight, compared to one during the Golden Hour.
This one was taken in the middle of the day, with clear skies and the sun beating down.
This image was taken late in the day, with the sun setting, and cloudy skies.
Each image has its own merits and each work it their own way. The point is, while sticking to long proven ways to go about photography is probably a good way to start out, don't let the so called "rules" stop you from creating the image you want.
Until next time, Keep Shooting!
Comments