How to Photograph a Landscape in Golden Hour
The first and last hour of daylight do most of the work for you. Here is how to be in the right place at the right time.
In this article
Photographers talk about golden hour like a secret, but it is simply the stretch of the day when the sun sits low and the light travels through more atmosphere. It is warmer, softer and kinder to every landscape.
Scout in the daytime
Walk the location when the light is flat and boring. Decide where you will stand and which direction the sun will move so you are ready when it arrives.
Expose for the highlights
Let the shadows fall dark and protect the sky. A slightly underexposed frame is easy to rescue; a blown-out sunrise is gone for good.
- Arrive forty minutes before sunrise.
- Use a tripod and a two-second timer.
- Shoot a few frames in the blue hour that follows.
Wait for the third minute
The first colour is rarely the best. Stay ten minutes longer than feels reasonable and watch the sky change.
Light does not need to be chased. It only needs you to show up early and stay a little longer.
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