The Golden Hour of Photography
You may have heard photographers referring to the golden hour and wondered why they were making reference to a medical term you heard used on an episode of ER. So, what exactly is it and why is it so important?
Have you ever taken a photograph that seems to have a magical quality to it, because of the way in which the light has been captured in the shot? The chances are that you took the picture during the two times of day that photographers know as the golden hour.
The first hour of sunlight of the day makes the first golden hour. As the sun rises the light is softer than later in the day when the full and harsh rays of the sun shine down upon us. Likewise at the end of the day in the hour before sunset, the sun is close to the horizon again. As in the morning, the light travel in an oblique manner and so, instead of hitting objects straight down, hits them at an angle.
The result is that shadows are more pronounced and the pictures take on a much warmer, golden quality. The warmth of the colors that the sun, in its low position, produces, gives a photograph a completely different quality than when taken at other times of the day.
One of the main problems about taking photographs when the sun is at its full height is that overexposure will happen, draining out of the picture the colors that are there in the scene. Often, too, the shadows can be too dark in the middle of the day. The first hour after sunrise and before sunset enables the photographer to take pictures in which the shadows are considerably less sharply pronounced.
Some photographers are more technical and precise in their definition of when the Golden hour actually starts and ends. The period during which the sun is between 6 degrees above and below the horizon is how they define it, better accounting for the speed at which night becomes day and vice versa.
Yes, but what time of day is that exactly? It really does depend on where you are in the world and what time of year it is. If you are interested in taking pictures during the golden hour, though, it is best to be in position to take your picture before sunrise. Light changes very quickly and if you want to take a particularly striking landscape then even a couple of minutes either side of the perfect time means that you might miss what most photographers will think of as the best light.
Your latitude will also determine how quickly and steeply the sun will climb. The best think to do – as with most things including photography – is to experiment. So, don’t stay in bed until the very last minute and then dash out expecting to get the perfect shot as that will be unlikely to happen. There really isn’t much of a rule of thumb going on as cloud cover is also an important factor in how your pictures will turn out.
Although some will not care to admit it, photography in the golden hour can be a matter of luck. The difference between what makes a photograph interesting and what could make it unique may simply boil down to the capture of a moment of light that was there one second and gone the next. It can take years to capture that moment.
If you are taking portraits then you have a slightly different set of problems. The first is trying to get the subject of your pictures out of bed. However, objects look particularly good in the golden hour, as it highlights their shape and textures so if you are taking pictures of, say, a rock group, try and do it during the golden hour. As children and animals tend to get up at unfeasible times of the day, if you want to get some great shots of your offspring or pets then the golden hour is a good time to take them – the light is great and you can spend time capturing and interacting with the children rather than fretting about the light.
Golden hour is sometimes referred to as the magic hour but should not be confused with the blue hour. This is twilight time, when another sort of light altogether can be captured on film. If you are blond and considering an outside photo shoot then the blue hour is the best time for you as the time between full light and darkness is considered most flattering photographically for your skin tones and hair color.
If you would like to calculate when the golden hour is in your locality there is no need nowadays to do much more than turn on your PC. Simply visit the golden hour website and you will have the exact times of your golden hours in seconds.
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32 Comments
hfj, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Great pictures. Very good and informative article. I always love pictures of sunsets on the ocean. Looks like the sun just disappears into the water. Well done.
Anne McNew, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Great shots RJ, I like it.
Miss Heda, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
this is really good info thanks my friend is a asipering photographer so ishall pass ur story on!
Jo Oliver, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Thanks for a magical article about a magical hour. Excellent pics and explanation on the meaning. I often wondered how the golden hour was determined.
jo oliver
Kimberly Moore, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Beautiful Pics and interesting article!
nutuba, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Excellent information! Thanks for sharing in this well written article. Nicely done.
LadyScorpio, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
very informative, great article!
David irvine, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Loved the 1st and 3rd from last. Great read. Thanks.
The Quail, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Awesome article very informative with very nice pictures.
Dee Gold, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
informative
Lost in Arizona, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
I’ve always loved taking photos just before the sun sets. Out here in Arizona, we get some pretty spectacular sunsets. Of course, some of my photos don’t look anywhere as nice as these..lol. 
Take care.
Juancav, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
Golden Hour is a novelty to me,thank you.
ML Sheldon, posted this comment on Mar 15th, 2009
That’s fascinating.
I love the golden hour! It’s so beautiful.
keyboardologist, posted this comment on Mar 15th, 2009
Very informative. I love the pictures. I’m going to try this out. I noticed that time tends to fly when I am trying to capture a sunset, or rainbow photo.
Betty Carew, posted this comment on Mar 15th, 2009
Excellent article RJ very informative with good tips.
Debra., posted this comment on Mar 15th, 2009
Stunning pics RJ. Absolutely love and have fully enjoyed the golden hour. Wonderful piece!
Bill M. Tracer, posted this comment on Mar 15th, 2009
Way to go, R J. Great article, and sharp photos.
selma blackbird, posted this comment on Mar 15th, 2009
thanks! this article has given me some good pointers and reminds me of other elements to use in photography, or how to use them rather
James DeVere, posted this comment on Mar 16th, 2009
I love the Golden Hour – I am always running around in it. I actually did not know it had a title. I just thought that it was first thing in the morning and the last thing at day. Thanks for the information. Nice write. j
CutestPrincess, posted this comment on Mar 16th, 2009
i love photography… your photos are truly stunning…
coffeeadict, posted this comment on Mar 17th, 2009
Very useful information and lovely pictures – thank you!
Ruby Hawk, posted this comment on Mar 17th, 2009
Taking pictures is one of my favorite things to do. You named it for those of us who couldn’t think of the appropriate word.
Jackie118, posted this comment on Mar 18th, 2009
These are absolutely beautiful – I’m going to have to get up early one morning and try to capture our water meadow and woodland during the golden hour! We have bluebells in the woodland at the end of April which always look fantastic when the sun’s shining through the trees so will try and capture it at its best this year. If it comes out successfully I’ll post on Triond!!!!
Southgate, posted this comment on Mar 18th, 2009
Even a person who hitherto does not have any interest in photography may get inspired by your article, especially the examples.Each of them is unique.
Paul Corvus, posted this comment on Mar 19th, 2009
Great tips and beautiful photographs – I’m thinking of going up to the mountains near where I live and taking some pictures. Maybe I’ll get some during the “golden hour” – Boulder Colorado is a beautiful place.
JOSELITO B BISENIO, posted this comment on Mar 19th, 2009
great pictures for an equally great article…
B Nelson, posted this comment on Mar 21st, 2009
Terrific article.. however my pets wouldnt approve of me taking pictures when the sun first comes up.. because they will be waiting for their breakfasts first..I am glad you mentioned taking pictures of our pets. Maybe in the summer this would be terrific opportunity to get some good pics of them.
Mark Gordon Brown, posted this comment on Mar 21st, 2009
really good pictures add to the credabilty of your points – well done!
Miguel Aviles author of The Zerkian Chronicles, posted this comment on Mar 31st, 2009
I will have to say that I didn’t know that there were specific times of day to take pictures. Here is the comment you requested. I really don’t car if you participate in my forum, but you have quite the ego problem if you think people should just post comments on your work without you getting on a more personal level with your readers. You are really quite cold.
eddiego65, posted this comment on Aug 14th, 2009
Fantastic pics for a fantastic article. Really enjoyed the read.
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C Jordan, posted this comment on Mar 14th, 2009
A good write and some nice photos. In my opinion and in my experience, with practice, the best tools for deciding on the golden hour are the eyes.