How to determine when the golden hour is. Golden Hour is a period in which the sun lies between 4 ° below and 6 ° above the horizon, so it actually starts before sunrise in the morning and lasts a little longer than the evening sunset. The angular position of the sun relative to the horizon explains why your position and the seasons affect when it happens to you. With the palm of your hand, you can easily determine how much time is left until sunset.
A mobile app, such as PhotoTime from the Google store or Golden Hour Times from the App Store, can be used to pinpoint when the golden or blue hour comes. After entering the “golden hour” you can find other apps. These applications will also help you pinpoint the sunrise and sunset.
How to take pictures at the golden hour
At golden hour, the sun’s rays pass through a larger layer of the Earth’s atmosphere. The gases and impurities in the atmosphere give the sun a fresh color. In addition, dust particles scatter sunlight. Scattered light in photos does not create contrasting sharp shadows. Sunlight at this time adds spatial depth to the scene. You can take the most beautiful morning photos in winter and spring – in winter the colorful sparkle of the sun in the crystals of the hoarfrost, which melts with the rising sun later, in spring the fresh colors and everything in bloom. Summer and especially autumn add a golden color to photographs at this time.
Golden hour
Civil twilight
Occurs when the sun is between the horizon and 5 degrees below the horizon. Morning before sunrise and evening after sunset. It is part of the gold watch.
When is blue hour
It is about an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset. If it is not cloudy, then the sky in the photos has a bluish tinge, which is more saturated in the direction where it will rise in a while, or where the sun has just set. When shooting at this time of day, it is a good idea to increase the ISO sensitivity, otherwise it may happen that if your pedestrian passes through the shot, he will have blurred legs. Using a tripod is also a big advantage.
Sunrise and sunset
Photos of the rising or setting sun are very popular. However, their result is very dependent on the weather and clouds and the shooting technique. If you want to try an experiment, set a larger aperture number, even 22. If the weather is good, the sun will be surrounded by diverging rays. It is good to prepare for the photo shoot at this time. Sunrise and sunset last only a few minutes and you don’t have to waste time adjusting the camera, replacing the memory card or battery. Sunrise and sunset are part of the gold watch.
How to take pictures of the sunset
Reportage time
It is about ten in the morning until three in the afternoon. It depends on the season and altitude. You will rather take reportage photos during these hours. It’s not for any art. People have shadows in their eyes, at this time they prefer to take pictures of buildings or more wide-angle shots.
How to take pictures in backlight
It depends on the distance you are from the photographed object. If you are close, you can turn on the flash to help you illuminate the backlight. If you are further away, the shadows can be partially brightened by exposure compensation. If you are far away, you can use the backlight to photograph silhouettes.
