Setting for Golden Hour

Setting for Golden Hour - Now that we know How to Get Golden Hour and Why Golden Hour is always awaited by photographers on previous postings, this time you should know these tips camera settings to get the golden hour.

Here are 4 tips that can be practiced to capture the sunset, but the settings are really right for each occasion is not the same, so you may need to shift back and forth setting the following tips to get the right settings for your moment.

Setting #1 - General Setting

The goal is to capture the nuances of orange that appears before sunset. All you need to do is determine the speed & aperture settings right. To obtain the approximate setting, I use:

• mode A, f/16, ISO 100, metering SPOT
• metering the bright spot under the sun
• review images obtained
• shift mode from A to M and adjust the speed.

In settings like this, the sun is usually obtained with a round orange and object in the foreground silhouette.

Setting #2 - Foreground Silhouette

After obtaining the best setting to devote the setting sun, keep your setting by using the mode M. Look for interesting objects in the foreground so that the images appear more attractive.

Setting #3 - Fill In Flash

If you want to display the object in the foreground, there must be an additional light to compensate for the strong light in the background. The use of flash to be alternative solutions so that objects in the foreground appear.
Noteworthy is the maximum sync speed (the highest shutter speed that can be achieved when the flash is on). It will be one of the restrictions on the setting and should be compensated by the ISO or aperture settings.

How To Maximize Your Pocket Camera

How To Maximize Pocket Camera - is useful article to pocket camera users. If you want to change shutter speed and aperture setting to your pocket camera, how to do that? There are only two answers to do that:

1. Upgrade your camera
This is the most ideal answer, i.e buying a digital SLR camera, or at least an advance pocket camera called as prosumer camera. The two kind of cameras give you free manually setting of aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, moreover DSLR camera could be changed its lens according to your requirement. If you have much money this answer is suitable for you. If you have no much money or you don't want to buy DSLR camera at the present time, you should try the next answer.

2. Maximize your pocket camera
Pocket camera is designed for daily photograph. It can give you information about photographic situation and kind of picture you need. Each mode of photography apply special setting to the camera.

Several pocket camera settings to maximize your pocket camera: 

• Adjust White Balance with available light. Improper white balance will produce tonal colors that do not match and sometimes bizarre. 

• Use the appropriate Scene mode. In each pocket cameras usually reserved several scenes to meet your shooting according to lighting situations and motion of an object being photographed.

• Use the Macro mode on an object that is close, without this mode, the object a short distance (less than 50 cm) will blur.

• Make sure the object gets enough light. The role of light is very important because you use low ISO. So get a light as bright as possible, if necessary use a flash or studio mini box.

• If you want to get shallow depth of field (blur background), apply 'spot focus metering' and 'Portrait mode'. The camera will set wide aperture.

• If you want to get deep depth of field (all focused), apply 'Landscape mode', and set 'multi focus metering' the camera will automatically set narrow aperture.

• If you want fast shutter speed, apply 'Sports mode'. The camera assumed that you want to freeze object movement. Its also applied to photograph children activity.

• If you want slow shutter speed, apply 'night mode'. Camera will automatically turn on flash and set high ISO that can make noise to the picture. Turn off flash and set ISO to 100 or 200. You should use tripod or other camera fixation to get sharp and clear pictures, and apply timer to reduce shake effect.

Resume of above settings shows in table below:

And additional tips is to avoid using digital zoom as it will add noise to your photos.

Why Golden Hour?

Why Golden Hour? As a continuation of previous post, this post will discuss why golden hour is very long-awaited by photographers. This is due, the sun gives an amazing light effects on each photo snap which make photographers more creative.

Here are some of the reasons photographers look for sunny golden hour:

Photo courtesy of http://365raysofsunshine.blogspot.com

Gorgeous warm light: It can just make your subjects glow.

Photo courtesy of http://aubreyrd.com

Silhouettes: Shoot into the sun and your subjects will be amazing silhouettes.

Photo courtesy of http://photoble.com

Lens flare: another possibility with shooting into the sun is lens flare which can add atmosphere to your shots when used in moderation.

Photo courtesy of http://www.digital-photography-school.com

Indoor photography: If you have a window or open doorway where the light get in through, you can make beautiful indoor photos too. So golden hour need not just be an outdoor thing.

Photo courtesy of http://instantfundas.com

Moody Clouds: The light in this time also hits the sky and landscape around your subject and they create mood and atmosphere in your shots.

Photo courtesy of http://xaxor.com

Black and White Possibilities: Monochromatic? Who's afraid! Just do it!

Photo courtesy of http://josiemarancosmetics.typepad.com

Rims of Light: It’s particularly good through hair, when you shoot with the sun behind your subject, you create rims of light around them which accentuate features.

Photo courtesy of http://lifecycl.es

Shadows: You can play with your subject's shadow by shooting at certain angles.


Do you have any experience with the golden hour in addition to what I mentioned above?

How to Get Golden Hour

Golden hour is the time which is very awaited by outdoor photographers, because it give the best lighting in a day. It is so called magic hour by pro-photographers, because it can give amazing effects of light on their photos.

The most important of photograph is light, and the photographers' favorite time of the day is Golden hour. Golden hour hour is the time at dawn to an hour after sunrise, and an hour before and after sunset. Those times gives us the best lighting for outdoor photography. Golden light come from side could inspire photographers to take landscape, portrait, silhouette, sunrise, or sunset photography, it enrich landscape textures and dimensions. See the different mount Bromo crater below, the first take at noon, and the other at golden hour. Which photo looks more beautiful?
 

Bromo crater at noon

Bromo crater at golden hour (Photographer: Jessy CE)

Sky gradation from blue to reddish, lighting comes from side solidify hills textures, reddish light makes warmer color of the landscape. These condition make more beautiful picture.

You can calculate exactly golden hour at your place with these software:

1. The Golden Hour, it is a site calculating when golden hour appears at your place. Just show your place on the map.
2. Twilight calculator, it looks like The Golden Hour.
3. Golden hour app for IOS or for Android.

Definitely, you have to wake-up early and never give-up to take photographs till evening.

Good luck!