Can you believe it’s already June?
Summer is finally here which means it’s time to take advantage of the warm weather. This summer is the perfect time to capture those memories with your family and friends so why not do it with b&b Photography.
Our professional photographer is an expert on capturing the inevitable and breathtaking moments of the sunrise and sunset through the lens of the camera. The visual experience, called the golden hour, captured by photography is something truly sensational.
But what exactly is the golden hour, and why is it so sought after by photographers?
What is the Golden Hour?
The golden hour, also known as the magic hour, is absolutely mesmerizing. Whether it’s for portraits or postcards, it’s something professional photographers truly love and aspire to shoot in order to create the perfect shot. The golden hour occurs in the last hour between sunrise and sunset, which means its time differs depending on where you are located.
The shadows and light reflection combine to create a perfect moment because the sun is at such a low angle. The background of the gorgeous sky is a dream come true for both photographer and subject.
Working with the Time Difference
In order to get the perfect shot, you have to understand how quickly sunset can come. You have to be patient in order to capture the soft and natural light, but quick enough to take advantage of the golden hour.
That’s why it’s necessary to plan ahead and envision the scene along with the shoot location. This is how you ensure the lens of the camera captures the perfect image.
Why Photographers Love the Golden Hour
Unsurprisingly, photographers greatly enjoy shooting at this specific time, but why is that?
It provides something other times may not. This time allows photographers to create stunning photos through the use of natural lighting changes. Photography is able to capture a wide range of light during the golden hour to express the true identity and emotion of the scene.
Specifically, this type of soft light adds long shadows along with bright vibrant rays to the subject’s face and the landscape of the image. Meaning golden hour light is great for landscape photography and portrait photography due to the sun’s position in the sky.
One of the most mystical moments of the magic hour is considered to be the blue hour. The blue hour is a very unique time of day being a short period just after sunset, displaying dark blue lights and strong shadows. This is why there is no better time to take photos than on a beautiful summer night.
Angles of light during the Golden Hour
Photographers take their golden hour photography to the next level by ensuring they understand where the sun is based on the horizon. This is important since during the first hour of sunrise and sunset the sun is at a low angle. This means that the light from the sun is traveling through the earth’s atmosphere.
When this occurs it softens the intensity of the light creating warm colors and less contrast, creating an extraordinary scene of still life. This lighting also directs warm light to the subject’s face, which leads to extraordinary portraits. At b&b photography, we adore this type of scene considering that it reduces direct light and evenly exposes the photos.
Golden Hour Photography and the Change of Light
The golden hour is a mystic dream for photographers, however, it creates challenges. Golden hour photography requires a great deal of finesse seeing as how the lighting is changing throughout the times of sunset.
One of the ever-changing things in these types of photos is the sun moving towards the horizon. This causes the photographer to make adjustments to the images in terms of the angle, color, and sunlight.
Planning of B&B photography
At b&b photography, we take pride in finding the perfect shooting location that’s going to offer the best balance in front and side lighting. We know the importance of understanding that the golden hour starts one hour before sunrise or one hour before sunset, and we make the best use of our time in this matter.
Professional photographer Robin Charlesworth has a few tips for when you and your family want to plan your next summer photo shoot. It’s important to note that this mystical time is determined by your geographical location as well as other factors such as weather conditions.
Techniques used for Magic Hour photos
At b&b Photography, we take pride in capturing your best moments through the lens of our camera. However, this time of day requires technique and experience due to longer shadows and blue light. Our professional photographer takes into consideration many factors such as the rim lighting, front lighting, along with the subject’s face in order to perfectly capture the right image.
The importance of white balance
White balance is one of the most important factors in capturing the best photos. This setting on the camera measures the temperature of light to calibrate the colors that are displayed in our world. This warm type of sunlight which is displayed an hour after sunset creates an even illumination of the sun and sky.
Shadows during the Golden hour
Deep shadows are presented during these times, which can cause odd skin tones to appear in photos. A professional photographer is able to capture these memorizing moments of the subject’s face by using a wide aperture along with the correct white balance. By doing this perfectly, your photographer will be able to incorporate these deep shadows to help make details stand out and express further emotion.
If you would like to capture the magic of the golden hour in your photos, contact b&b Photography to schedule a photoshoot! We can’t wait to help you create beautiful images that you will treasure for years to come.
