-Easy golden hour tips that will elevate your photos-
-Tips and Tricks-
If your new at photography and reading this, congrats! You have taken the first step in capturing moments that will last forever! I love the golden hour.. why you ask? Because of the lighting! I like to think of golden hour lighting as “soft Lighting”. Because if you compare it to middle of the day harsh lighting; it is much softer and easier to work with. Soft lighting (like the golden hour) is much more flattering on people.
3 Golden Hour Tips…
#1- Always face the shadow. What do I mean by this? You subject should be able to look down and see their shadow. This protects your image from spotty lighting.
#2- Avoid spotty light. This rule should be applied whenever you are photographing no matter the time of day. Spotty light is when light is not even from head to toe. You want even light that includes no hot spots of light on the subjects. The light stays even form head to toe. I personally think if you were to run into a spotty light problem shooting in the golden hour. It is a little more forgiving, and maybe can be modified a little bit.
#3- If you are photographing nature look for patches of golden light. If you are photographing nature, the best way I have found to capture the golden hour is to look for the spots of light that spill out of the trees, and use them as a natural lighting setup to capture the golden hue. By doing this you are finding the areas that are most lit up and glowing golden; allowing yourself a guaranteed golden hour portrait.
#4- Use the golden hour as an opportunity to highlight your subject, and try new things. If you use the first three steps you will be set up for success! And that allows you to try new angles and explore the never ending options of how to take a picture! I personally really like to experiment in the golden hour because of how forgiving the light is, and the golden hue it gives everything you see!
-Word of advice-
Do it afraid. It’s how you grow!
-The best pictures-
When I was brainstorming for this article, I was sitting in a kayak, soaking in the stillness of the sunset as the water reflected the picture painted in the sky. Every day is a new challenge, beginning, and adventure. So every day is a chance to try something new. And the golden hour allows you to do that!
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box!
Wherever you are. wherever you go. You can find beauty in God's creation.
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