Lomography

The golden hour is the hour after the sunrise and the hour before the sunset. Many photographers take advantage of this magical hour for the magnificent lighting that it casts over the horizon. Learn how to take advantage of the golden hour!

Lighting is an important aspect of photography. The light alone can change the mood of the picture. Without the right lighting, your pictures may not turn out the way you expect them to. One good way to get magnificent pictures from natural lighting is to take advantage of the golden hour!

Photo by boredbone

During the golden hour, the sun light is diffused thus, eliminating harsh shadows. Shooting during the golden hour is best for panoramic or outdoor shoots. There are also times when different hues appear on the sky and this is great for some experimental shots. If you want to take pictures of pink, purple or orange skies, shooting during the golden hour is your best bet!

Photo by itsdebraanne

Here are a few tips for shooting on the golden hour:

Check Your Local Time
The golden hour doesn’t last very long so it is best to be prepared. Research the local time for the sunrise and sunset. Also, make sure that there are no rains or thunderstorms or else you won’t be experiencing the golden hour.

Photo by upic

Get to Your Location Early
Remember to arrive at the location of the shoot several minutes or an hour before the golden hour. The golden hour does not last a full hour and it would be best to already have an idea on the subjects that you want to shoot so when the golden hour starts, all you have to do is click!

Photo by satvika

Use a Tripod
For this type of shoot, it is beneficial to use a tripod in order to capture the vibrant hues.

Photo by apophisv

Keep on Clicking
During the golden hour, the colors that you will see won’t be constant. After developing your film, you will notice that there are drastic light changes in between shots. That is why it is good to keep on shooting so that you’ll end up with diverse golden hour shots!

Here are some examples of magnificent golden hour shots from our community!

Photos by shoujoai, maya_newman, vicuna, gnarlyleech, reneg88, springeth, u-t-e, and anelfandhiszippo

Another tip, if you want to achieve brighter and more vivid colors on your photos, use the Lomography Slide Film for shooting!

The new Lomography X-Pro Slide 35mm film is made from the original Agfa RSX 200 emulsion. If you want whacked out colours, huge contrast, and insane saturation, this film is for you. See our selection of Lomography films here.