Davenport Beach Sunset
So many landscape photographers like to shoot in what is termed as the golden hour or magic hour for more dramatic images. The twenty minutes leading up to sunrise or the 20 minutes past sunset often produces the most dramatic light. The golden hour is the time leading up to the sunrise or sunset and the time after the event. In general terms this "good light" lasts for about an hour. Usually after this time we say well, it's all over and packup our gear.
Shooting the sun itself is also beautiful to include in your image, but is a little bit trickier. You will need to learn how to deal with lens flare, exposure compensation and other artifacts, but can and should be done.
The light that is produced at the golden hour is low to the horizon and produces long shadows and explosive color. It usually is a much more interesting light on your subject than shooting with the mid-day sun.
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your golden hour images.
1. Check the times of sunrise or sunset in your local area
Don’t just assume. Also check the weather forecast. If it’s very cloudy or there’s a chance of rain, you won’t be able to see the golden hour.
2. Arrive early
Don’t let the name fool you as sometimes you’d have less than an hour to capture the photos in the warm tones. Especially during the Winter months. Getting there early means you won’t be rushed setting up your gear or adjusting camera settings. I usually arrive at least two hours at a location to find my composition and ready my equipment for the shoot. There is a lot of waiting involved so enjoy your time in nature!
3. Turn off auto white balance
Manually adjust the white balance to create the color mood you desire. Or, you can also experiment with the auto-presets such as sunny or daylight.
4. To light up your subject in the foreground
Set EV (exposure value) to +1, +2 or +3. Alternatively, you can also slow down your shutter speed or use a fill flash. Also using a graduated neutral density filter is very helpful.
5. To create a shadow effect with your foreground subject
Set EV to -1, -2 or -3. You can also choose to make your shutter speed faster. Using a reverse graduated filter will also help get this type of exposure.
6. Use a tripod
You will produce sharper images and capture more vibrant colors. I almost never shoot any landscape images without a good tripod. If you want tack sharp images use a tripod and remote shutter release.
I hope this article helps you produce some better landscape images. It really is a very fun time of day to be out shooting, at least for the photographer. Until next time have fun shooting....
Shooting the sun itself is also beautiful to include in your image, but is a little bit trickier. You will need to learn how to deal with lens flare, exposure compensation and other artifacts, but can and should be done.
The light that is produced at the golden hour is low to the horizon and produces long shadows and explosive color. It usually is a much more interesting light on your subject than shooting with the mid-day sun.
Here are some tips on getting the most out of your golden hour images.
1. Check the times of sunrise or sunset in your local area
Don’t just assume. Also check the weather forecast. If it’s very cloudy or there’s a chance of rain, you won’t be able to see the golden hour.
2. Arrive early
Don’t let the name fool you as sometimes you’d have less than an hour to capture the photos in the warm tones. Especially during the Winter months. Getting there early means you won’t be rushed setting up your gear or adjusting camera settings. I usually arrive at least two hours at a location to find my composition and ready my equipment for the shoot. There is a lot of waiting involved so enjoy your time in nature!
3. Turn off auto white balance
Manually adjust the white balance to create the color mood you desire. Or, you can also experiment with the auto-presets such as sunny or daylight.
4. To light up your subject in the foreground
Set EV (exposure value) to +1, +2 or +3. Alternatively, you can also slow down your shutter speed or use a fill flash. Also using a graduated neutral density filter is very helpful.
5. To create a shadow effect with your foreground subject
Set EV to -1, -2 or -3. You can also choose to make your shutter speed faster. Using a reverse graduated filter will also help get this type of exposure.
6. Use a tripod
You will produce sharper images and capture more vibrant colors. I almost never shoot any landscape images without a good tripod. If you want tack sharp images use a tripod and remote shutter release.
I hope this article helps you produce some better landscape images. It really is a very fun time of day to be out shooting, at least for the photographer. Until next time have fun shooting....
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