The Golden (or Magic) Hour

I love photography. As a person who is almost constantly carrying some sort of camera around, I am always looking for things to capture. Lighting is a big part of this. An overcast day is photo gold, because you won't get the harsh sun causing unflattering shadows. A few weeks ago I took some photos during what's known as the golden hour, sometimes known as the magic hour.

The golden hour is the hour right before the sun sets, casting a fuzzy, warm light on everything. It also allows you to position a subject in front of the sun, creating sun spots at the right angle and giving the subject a warm glow.

This is a slightly whimsical photo that reflects the camera in my sunglasses. The light illuminates my hair from behind, adding to reflective and detailed effect.

Air photos give a fun summer-ish vibe to photos. I used the timer on my camera, but you can also a remote to snap the photo at the right time.

Trying new perspectives can add a new feeling to your subject. It can be refreshing from the normal portrait stance, and the subject doesn't always have to be smiling and looking at the camera. Photos often feel more natural when they aren't. The rosy light adds warmth and color to my clothes and hair, making the photo more relaxing as a whole.

The same tree is pictured above on both photos, at different times and angles. The same tree is also in the first photo in the blog post. Lighting and positioning can give a whole new feel to pictures. The first picture is more focused on the colors in the photo, how they contrast and interact. The photo feels warm and small, so the sky doesn't seem to vast. The second one gives a much more airy, open feeling, with a bird flying out of the tress silhouetted by a light sky reaching into oblivion. The fact that the bird is so small compared to the tree and the sky, makes the picture feel that much bigger.

The magic hour is one of the best times to goof around with picture techniques, especially involving light. Light can change so much in a picture, the mood, colors, style, the quality of a photo. I encourage you to explore the world of possibilities with a camera to help.

~Hannah