As a photographer, one of the key things that can really take a photoshoot to the next level is the lighting. If you’ve ever wondered why so many photographers recommend scheduling shoots during a specific time of day, the answer is simple: Golden Hour!
Golden hour is this magical time of the day before sunset where the sun is just low enough to create a soft, warm light. Golden hour also creates my favorite thing ever: Sun flares!!
One of the biggest challenges in photography is managing harsh, direct sunlight. Midday sun, especially, can create harsh shadows and overexposed highlights. However, during golden hour, the sun is lower in the sky, which results in softer, more even lighting. This lighting is ideal for portraits, since it creates such a soft glow.
Golden Hour light is rich in warm hues—think golden yellows, soft oranges, and even pinks. These warm tones can add a dreamy look to your photos. When golden hour hits I always like to look for where the sun is popping through and place my client with the sun behind them. This creates a glow around them, and truly makes them stand out from the background.
The magic of golden hour doesn’t last long—about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the season and weather. Because of this limited time frame, you’ll need to plan your shoot carefully to capture the perfect moments. Even though this time period for golden hour is short, the photos make it well worth it!
Golden hour is hands down one of the best times to capture sun flares in photography. Sun flares happen when sunlight hits the lens directly, causing the light to scatter and create colorful, hazy spots or streaks across the photo. The soft, warm light creates that magical glow that adds a natural pop to your images. As the sun sets it creates this warm glow, which creates sun flares!
It’s that perfect balance between light and shadow, making golden hour the ultimate opportunity to experiment with sun flares and add a touch of something special to your shots. I feel like sun flares add such a fun, creative look to the photos! It adds a little pop of movement and I get giddy every time I see them behind my camera.
So, next time you book a shoot, don’t hesitate to let me capture that perfect golden hour glow. I’ll embrace the sun’s natural flare, play with the light and shadows, and make sure the beauty of the sun flares shine through with every shot. I would love to chase the golden hour with you!
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