I’m obsessed with golden hour photography, and for good reason – it’s the most forgiving and magical light you’ll ever work with. The soft, warm glow that occurs during the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset is like nothing else, and it’s what sets the best photographers apart from the rest. I mean, who needs harsh midday sun when you can have golden hour’s gentle caress?
Look at the work of photographers like Annie Leibovitz² or Richard Avedon³, and you’ll see what I mean – their use of golden hour light is masterful, and it adds a depth and warmth to their images that’s hard to replicate with any other type of light. And it’s not just limited to portrait photography, either – landscape photographers like Ansel Adams⁴ and Galen Rowell⁵ have made careers out of capturing the beauty of the natural world during golden hour.
Why Most Beginners Get Lighting Wrong
The thing is, golden hour photography isn’t just about pointing your camera at something during the right time of day – it’s about understanding the light, and how to use it to your advantage. I’ve seen so many beginners get it wrong, shooting in the middle of the day when the sun is high and harsh, or trying to capture golden hour light without any idea of how to work with it. It’s like they’re trying to force a square peg into a round hole – it just doesn’t work.
Golden hour light is all about softness and warmth, so you need to use lenses and techniques that enhance those qualities. I swear by my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4⁶ for golden hour portraits – the way it renders skin tones and captures the soft, diffused light is just incredible. And when it comes to landscapes, my go-to lens is the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8⁷ – the wide angle and fast aperture make it perfect for capturing the expansive vistas and dramatic skies that golden hour is known for.
The Art of Planning and Preparation
Of course, the key to successful golden hour photography is planning and preparation. You can’t just show up at a location and expect to get great shots – you need to scout out the location beforehand, plan your shots, and be ready to adapt to changing light conditions. I like to use apps like The Photographer’s Ephemeris⁸ to plan my shoots, and I always make sure to arrive at the location at least an hour before the golden hour is set to begin.
This gives me time to get set up, test my equipment, and get a feel for the light and the location. And it’s not just about the technical aspects, either – golden hour photography is just as much about anticipation and patience as it is about technique. You need to be able to anticipate how the light will change, and be patient enough to wait for the perfect shot. As the great photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson⁹, once said, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst” – and I think that’s especially true when it comes to golden hour photography.
Golden hour is all about the moment, and if you’re not prepared to seize it, you’ll miss out. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been on a shoot and had to wait for what felt like an eternity for the light to be just right – but when it is, it’s like magic.
It’s like the whole world comes alive, and everything is bathed in this warm, golden glow. It’s the perfect time to capture portraits, landscapes, cityscapes – anything, really. The light is just so forgiving, and it adds a depth and warmth to your images that’s hard to replicate with any other type of light.
Capturing the Moment
So, how do you actually capture the moment during golden hour? For me, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time, with the right equipment. I like to keep things simple – a camera, a lens, and a tripod are all you really need. And don’t even get me started on the importance of a good tripod – it’s essential for golden hour photography, when the light is low and you need to be able to shoot at slower shutter speeds.
I use a Gitzo GT3543LS¹⁰, and it’s been a game-changer for my golden hour shoots. The stability and flexibility it provides are just incredible, and it’s allowed me to capture shots that I never would have been able to get otherwise. Of course, the camera and lens you use are important too – I like to shoot with a full-frame camera, like my Nikon D850¹¹, and a wide-angle lens, like the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8¹².
The combination of the two gives me the flexibility and image quality I need to capture the beauty of golden hour. And don’t forget about post-processing – golden hour images often require a bit of tweaking to get the colors and contrast just right. I like to use Adobe Lightroom¹³ to edit my images, and I always make sure to shoot in RAW so I have as much flexibility as possible when it comes to editing.
The Power of Post-Processing
Post-processing is where the magic really happens, in my opinion. It’s where you can take a good image and make it great, by enhancing the colors and contrast and adding depth and dimension. I’m a big fan of the work of photographers like Tony Northrup¹⁴, who are masters of post-processing and have a real eye for detail.
They know how to use the tools at their disposal to create images that are truly stunning, and it’s something that I think every photographer should strive for. Of course, it’s not just about the technical aspects of post-processing – it’s also about having a vision and being able to realize it. As the great photographer, Ansel Adams¹⁵, once said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it” – and I think that’s especially true when it comes to golden hour photography.
You need to have a clear idea of what you want to capture, and the skills and knowledge to make it happen. And that’s where practice and patience come in – the more you shoot, the more you’ll learn, and the better you’ll become. Golden hour photography is a journey, not a destination – and it’s one that I’m always happy to be on.
For more information on golden hour photography, I recommend checking out the work of photographers like National Geographic’s Jim Richardson¹⁶, who has a real eye for capturing the beauty of the natural world during golden hour. You can also visit the National Geographic website¹⁷, which has a wealth of information and resources on photography, including golden hour photography.
References:
¹ https://www.canon.com
² Annie Leibovitz, Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005-2016 (New York: Phaidon, 2017)
³ Richard Avedon, Richard Avedon: Photographs 1946-2004 (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2004)
⁴ Ansel Adams, Ansel Adams: 400 Photographs (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007)
⁵ Galen Rowell, Galen Rowell: The Art of Adventure (New York: Sierra Club Books, 1983)
⁶ https://www.canon.com/camera/lenses/ef/ef-50mm-f1-4-usm
⁷ https://www.nikon.com/news/2010/0714_nikkor_14-24mm_f2-8g_ed.htm
⁸ https://www.photoephemeris.com
⁹ Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Mind’s Eye: Writings on Photography and Photographers (New York: Aperture, 1999)
¹⁰ https://www.gitzo.com
¹¹ https://www.nikon.com/news/2017/08024_d850.htm
¹² https://www.nikon.com/news/2010/0714_nikkor_14-24mm_f2-8g_ed.htm
¹³ https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html
¹⁴ https://www.tonynorthrup.com
¹⁵ Ansel Adams, Ansel Adams: An Autobiography (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1985)
¹⁶ https://www.jimrichardsonphotography.com
¹⁷ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/
