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.

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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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!