How To Use The Beauty Of The Golden Hour In Photography

Most photographers are aware that the golden hour is one of the best times to make outdoor photos. It’s not just the light, but the experience itself, of being outside as the sun is setting (or rising) and the air is full of nature’s smells. Everything looks beautiful, bathed in the sun’s golden light. But what exactly is the golden hour and how do you know when it takes place?

When is the golden hour?

The golden hour happens twice every day. The first is in the morning around sunrise. The second is in the evening at sunset. A rough definition is that the golden hour occurs an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. It also includes the short period of time the sun is below the horizon but its golden light still illuminates the sky.

The precise definition is that the golden hour is the period of time when the sun is between 6 degrees above the horizon and 4 degrees below it. This is the criteria the PhotoPills app uses to calculate the exact length (you can read more about this on the PhotoPills website). This is useful because the amount of time the sun takes to move between those two points depends on the time of year and how close you are to the equator.

These screenshots from the PhotoPills app shows that on the same day the golden hour is approximately an hour long at a location in the UK (left), but only 40 minutes long in Cote d’Ivoire (right), which is closer to the equator. Anybody who travels to the UK from a lower latitude knows just how long it takes the light to fade in the evenings here, especially in the spring and summer. The difference is dramatic, and more pronounced the further north you go.

To get the full advantage of the golden hour the sun needs to be out, as it’s the quality of sunlight at this time that makes the golden hour so special for photography.

What gives the light during golden hour its color?

The warm colors of sunlight during golden hour are created by an atmospheric phenomena that scientists call scattering. At sunset and sunrise the light from the sun passes through more air than it does at midday. Molecules and small particles in the air scatter violet and blue light wavelengths away from your eyes, but not red, yellow and orange wavelengths. As a result the light is much warmer than at midday.

This also explains why sunsets are more spectacular when there are lots of particles in the air from a wildfire or volcanic eruption.

The golden hour in landscape photography

The most common genre of photography in which people talk about the golden hour is landscape photography. The quality of light during the golden hour is ideal for landscapes. Natural features like trees, hedges and rocks cast long shadows. The raking light picks out textures in the landscape. Plus you get the benefits of being outdoors when nature is putting on a spectacular show.

Photos with water in them, like the one below, take on a magical quality as the water reflects the golden colors in the sky.

Golden hour light is so good for landscape photography that pro photographers often spend the middle hours of the day scouting locations and spend the two golden hours, weather permitting, making photos. The discipline to do this is one of the reasons that experienced photographers make such good landscape photos.

Another benefit of working in the golden hour is that (certain photography hotspot locations excepted) you are far more likely to have the location to yourself, especially in the morning.

The golden hour in outdoor portrait photography

The golden hour is a great time for portrait photography, especially outdoors. One of the benefits is that working in the golden hour gets you on location at a time when the light is beautiful, and the atmosphere in your chosen location is wonderful compared to the middle of the day. The air smells fresher and there is a certain magic in the air. It affects the mood and feel of the shoot itself as well as the light.

These two portraits show two different ways to use light in the golden hour. In the first (left) the fading light from the setting sun had a dramatic pinky red color. Light levels were so low at this point that I had to use a high ISO of 6400, but it was worth it. The softness and color of the light lit the model beautifully and created a dramatic color contrast against the blue sky.

In the other (right) the light is coming from behind the model. I got experimental with this portrait – I positioned the model against the setting sun, making sure it was hidden behind her body so we got the beauty and color of the light, but kept the contrast as minimal as possible. I had to increase exposure so she didn’t turn into a silhouette, which burned out most of the sky, but it all worked out.

In this type of situation you can also experiment with using a reflector to bounce light back into the model’s face, or combining portable flash with natural light.

The golden hour in flower and garden photography

The golden hour is also a good time for photographing flowers and gardens. Working in the golden hour helps you create moody photos lit by golden light. It’s another area where you can also experiment with backlighting. For example, I made the photo below on an evening walk near my home. The sun’s golden light poured through the leaves, which softened and diffused it, creating beautiful golden colors.

If you have access to a garden during the golden hour, you can make beautiful photos that capture the garden’s mood and character during the last moments of the day.

The golden hour in street and travel photography

The golden hour is also a productive time in travel photography. If you can bring yourself to get up out of bed early on location you are likely to enjoy the places you’re photographing at their quietest as well as getting beautiful light. Just like you would anywhere, be mindful of your safety if there aren’t many people around.

Things will be busier during the evening golden hour, but the light is just as beautiful. I made the photo below in Venice, using a tripod to support the camera during a long exposure of 2.5 seconds. This shutter speed blurred the water and the gondolas in the foreground, adding interest to the composition. The sun had nearly set, and its soft light illuminated the distant buildings. The sparkle of distant lights and the orange / blue color contrast adds to the mood.

One of the benefits of working during the two golden hour periods in developing countries is that, unlike many places in Europe or North America, it’s often a busy time of day. Especially in places where lots of people walk rather than use public transport or cars.

In the early morning you may see people walking to work, children going to school, or people setting up market stalls – all interesting slices of local life. For example, I made this photo in a market in Jaipur during the golden hour. The sun isn’t shining on the scene, but it still benefits from the soft light of early morning.

In the evening you will see the opposite – people coming home from work and business that may be closing down for the day or opening up for the evening. In short, the golden hours often coincide with the times when there is most life on the streets. There’s an interesting intersection of cultural activity and beautiful light.

If you are short on time while you’re traveling then you can make the most of your time by working in the golden hour. This may apply if you are traveling with family or friends who expect you to spend time with them during the middle of the day.

I made the photo below late one summer evening in the city of La Plata in Argentina. It was a hot evening and there were lots of people about, so I looked for a composition that didn’t include anyone in the frame. I knelt down and pointed the camera up to include the statue in the foreground. The beauty of the golden hour light did the rest.

Further reading: The Creative Assignments ebooks

The golden hour is one of the most productive times of day for natural light photographers. If your choice of subject matter takes you outdoors, then you can use the magical qualities of golden hour light to add mood and atmosphere to your photos.

But what if you’re one of those people who struggles to motivate themselves to go out early in the morning or late in the afternoon, the times of day when you get golden hour light? Or maybe you’d like to experiment with using different types of natural light, but you lack inspiration?

A great way to learn how to use natural light is to set yourself assignments – mini-briefs that encourage you go to out and put what you’ve learned into practice. That’s not as easy as it sounds, which is why I wrote my Creative Assignments books. Each one is filled with assignments and inspirational photos designed to spark your creativity and motivate you go to out and make beautiful photos. Click the link to learn more and get started.