Friday, February 27, 2009

THE GOLDEN HOUR IN PHOTOGRAPHY - SKYWATCH


Golden Wonder

Skywatch



I wanted to call the image The Golden Triangle but that really wasn't a good idea. Google why if you don't know. The Golden Hour it is then and it's not the medical one, but the one you hear photographer's use a lot or also referred to as the magic hour.

The Golden Hour is the the first and last hour of sunlight during the day when you'll find a certain photographic effect is achieved due to the quality of the light within these times.


The light tends to be warmer and softer. Shadows are more focused and pronounced as the sun is closer to the horizon. The sunlight is traveling at a slant striking subjects at an angle and not straight on.


Highlights tend not to be overexposed. This is due to the direct light of the sun not being as intense and harsh. Landscape photogaphers use this light a lot as the sunlight enhances, warms the ground colours. Also a favourite with painters too for the same reason. Portrait photography is favoured too as no fill flash is required as you can use the natural soft lighting and shadows. The worst time to photograph for harsh, too bold, brash sunlight is midday. Put it this way you don't get a sunset or sunrise at noon but but you do in the Golden Hour.


The image was captured towards the end of the Golden Hour, not optimum but enough to catch the yellow and golds in that Industrial Triangle of cranes, winches and sail masts along Ramsey Harbour Inlet and silhouette the building. I hope that all makes sense?


Skywatch watchers can be found here. Many thanks to Dot for the inspirational idea, Tom for the first care taking and the My world gang for looking after skywatch now.

Babooshka Ramsey Daily Photo hhtp://dailyphotoisleofman.blogspot.com/

115 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Magnificent shot as always! The colors are breathtaking! What beautiful and ever changing world we live in. Thanks for your words as well!

Teri said...

It is indeed a golden hour. Just beautiful!

Happy Skywatch.

Anonymous said...

A nice photo for SkyWatch Friday. As one who is always interested in what other people do, and looking for ideas, I think I found some here. I just have to remember it and at my age that is no small feat.

My Skywatch Post

Rune Eide said...

Since I'm never satisfied by my sunset pictures, I thank you for the advices. I need all I can get.

VALKYRIEN said...

Magnificent photo! Both colors and composition! Dramatic and peaceful at the same time! And yes; it all make sence! :)

Champ Townboy said...

You always make sense!! I love your classes. And, most of all, love your photography!

Lisa Wilson said...

I Googled and now I'm laughing at the thought of people around the world Googling The Golden Triangle. The Golden Hour is quite beautiful!

Anonymous said...

This is a golden picture ! ! !
Gr.
P-TER

marley said...

You get a gold star for this one!

Tanya Breese said...

LOL, ok I googled it too! I had to because there is a Golden Triangle area in San Diego (La Jolla) and I knew you had to be referring to something else,lol.

Gorgeous image, happy swf!

Catherine said...

It all makes sense, Babooshka. We just have to watch your picture, knowing it was taken at the "Golden Hour"of Ramsey, and we get the illustration. Simply wonderful gradation.

Lilli & Nevada said...

The Golden hour is just beautiful and a great name.

bitingmidge said...

Are you sure it's not an oil well?

It could be the pot of gold at the rainbow's end you know!

Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

Rose said...

Very beautiful...I did have to look up why not to call it the Golden Triangle. Had never heard of it.

bowledover said...

Lovely picture and the soft colour shows the cloud with a ripple effect, as ripples on the sea.
Thank you for your write up too, I am learning all the time.

imac said...

A perfect Golden shot, Bullseye.

Brian Miller said...

nice. love the shot!

Jim said...

Gorgeous golden shot.

Anonymous said...

I see gold. And I see a triangle. And the time was perfect. Lovely shot.

FO - 2 said...

Beautiful golden shot! :)

Susie of Arabia said...

Babooshka - I love your "golden triangle." I wouldn't have known it's real meaning if I hadn't Googled it... The sun is so warm and golden - totally different from my area. Thanks for the explanations and tips for us dummies - I always learn so much from your lessons!

Anonymous said...

Wow..gorgeous "golden" shot.

Tarolino said...

Once again a great composition and I think you timed the photo just right so that you get the very dark shades of the sky contrasting to the golden rim at the horizon.

Namnet said...

I like your photos. They are amazing. I love this golden one a lot too.
But I also enjoy your writing accompanied these photos. I always learn something new and interesting.
So thank you for sharing, and have a wonderful weekend.

Dewdrop said...

I didn't dare google at work, something gave me the impression that it wasn't a good thing. I love your shot though, your eyes are just drawn to the triangle of golden light! It radiates. Very cool!

Anonymous said...

I'm off to Google just after I tell you 10/10.

Ruth said...

I also had to google "golden triangle"...never heard of it. It is really worth waiting for sunrise and sunset for the best pictures. Light makes all the difference in the world to a photo.

Carver said...

Your golden hour is pure magic. Great shot.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I love the "golden hour" for taking photos!

Anonymous said...

Just SUPERB!

Unknown said...

Ah the Golden hour, wonderful for colour images for all the reasons you have stated. Nice one

Kathy W said...

Love how you were able to catch the setting sun like that. Beautiful. =) Hope you have a wonderful friday.

Virginia said...

well I just started a book on lighting today. You jumpstarted me B. THis is one of my favs of yours. Bravo, as my French teacher says on occasion!HA
Your text is an added bonus. Thank you for that. Tomorrow on BADP might just be the "other" side of B'ham. It might get bumped if I get some good photos f rom my trip the the artist's studio, that I featured the other day, tonight. We'll see.
V

Laerte Pupo said...

The Golden Triangle is the name perfect.

Beautiful photo.

julia said...

That explains more about those special times of the day, especially the sea and water at one particular stage is magic and even I have noticed the problem of overexposure and blinding sunlight!!

Anonymous said...

I get it. Thanks for sharing.

DeniseinVA said...

Amazing photo and I appreciate the photography lesson. You do put it into words that I can understand, thank you.

Quiet Paths said...

Really nice composition. Those colors are singular.

Jan said...

Fabulous.

Anonymous said...

Golden Hour is perfect. Beautiful golden sky...

Larry D said...

Wonderful photo!

EG CameraGirl said...

Wonderful description of the Golden Hour and a great photo to illustrate your words.

Anonymous said...

Dramatic and quite striking!

Debbie Courson Smith said...

A great serving for Skywatch!

Mojo said...

A perfect explanation and a perfect example to go with it! I read all the science about why sunlight looks more red/gold at those hours and I understand it, but in the end you really don't have to understand why it is, just that it is.

And yeah... Golden Triangle was a good one to stay clear of. Even if this beautiful composition does fit the terms.

Jim Klenke said...

thats a beautiful image.

Thanks for the research you did about google and go daddy. I think they finally are trying to fix their problem, only after a complaint the BBB. Still though, over a week and a half and still no action.

B SQUARED said...

Call it what you will, a very nice shot.

♥♥ Willa ♥♥ said...

what an amazing photo, very beautiful!!!

Eric Ripma said...

Very nice post and picture. The time of day really makes a difference in photography.

Hilda said...

Ooh! Fantastic colors! And I've always loved gold and purple together :)

Happy Sky Watching!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know this as I am always out at midday...Beautiful colors

Bergson said...

Great golden shot

Pietro Brosio said...

I find it a romantic image.
Great light!

Anonymous said...

It made perfect sense. I never knew it had a name but it is my favorite time of day. There is something about it to me that is just magical.

Beautiful sunset, beautiful photo.

magiceye said...

breathtaking.......!!!!!!!

angela said...

Beautiful tranquil shot..I didn't know it was called that but it doesn't really surprise me. It such a beautiful time of day..

Tash said...

I think this is my favorite sunset of yours, well at least one of my favorites. I reminded me of a couple I'd seen in the '80s while camping in Death Valley or Arizona dessert in the winter.

Maria Verivaki said...

i think we get so much sunlight in crete that we often miss those special moments in the sky where the very last drop if sunlight peeps through - this looks special

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Such a warm glow. What time did you take the photo?

Reader Wil said...

Wow, wow and wow!!!

SandyCarlson said...

I just learned plenty from your image and text. Thanks.

kazu said...

It is wonderful photo!
So beautiful.

Anne-Berit said...

Very beautiful!

Arija said...

Beautiful shot, reminds me of camping and campfires.

vincibene said...

Magical golden shot!

Unknown said...

Wow, this is great golden photo. I never realized there's a name of it also. Thanks for showing this. :)

Unknown said...

Wow, this is great golden photo. I never realized there's a name of it also. Thanks for showing this. :)

Unknown said...

Wow, this is great golden photo. I never realized there's a name of it also. Thanks for showing this. :)

Anonymous said...

Hello Babooshka,
Found you through dancin fools page.
Seems we share the same tastes in music....Love Kate Bush (I'm guessing that's where Babooshka came from)Pink Floyd, John Martyn etc I'm also a guitar player who loves to play blues
Anyway just wanted to say I had a good time on your page....loved the photo's, and loved the sound of the Blues Festival! did'nt realize there was one on the Isle of Man......learn something new every day!!
Have a cool weekend
T-bone

shaker said...

Great picture !

Raquel Sabino Pereira said...

Your photos shine like GOLD and are really inspiring!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Small City Scenes said...

Great shot. It looks like fire in the oil fields although that is only my imagination. MB

Anonymous said...

It's truly breathtaking.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful shot and thanks for your advice.
Have a good weekend!

Becky said...

This ia an awesome image. Breathtaking!
I checked on the clouds on my blog, and I believe them to be Altocumulus. A snowstorm arrived about an hour later.
Have a wonderful Friday.
B.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know about the Golden Hour, only the Blue Hour, they must be close together. Wonderful shots!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the lesson. Golden light is magical.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the lesson. Golden light is magical.

Daryl said...

Magical ..

Laurie Brandriet Keller said...

Great shot!

Dot O said...

Stunning, and thanks so much for explaining why I have always been intrigued by those two times of the day. One day I hope to be able to capture breathtaking images of both a sunrise and a sunset.

Happy SWF!

chrome3d said...

Everything golden is a good idea to me. The contrasts are set to maximum which I enjoy immensely.

chrome3d said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
VioletSky said...

Lovely shot.
And I'm learning alot from reading through your blog.

Thanks for visiting me.

Anonymous said...

It's beautiful..your caption is perfect for this shot :)

Anonymous said...

Magnificent Babs.

Secret Mom Thoughts said...

Beautiful shot and explanation.

abc said...

Interesting thoughts on the golden hour and great shot!

Linda said...

Great tips for those of us who are painfully finding out about this photography lark!

Unknown said...

I only learned this in the past year and it makes a huge difference in landscapes! My Skywatch of the lake last week was taken within that window and the whole shot was so much more vivid as a result. Great tip and piccie as usual.

Anonymous said...

I love the light at the time of day, pretty capture:)

Anonymous said...

I know it as the magic hour. Nice explanation. The tourists post is hilarious too.

Anonymous said...

I know it as the magic hour. Nice explanation. The tourists post is hilarious too.

Sebastian Anthony said...

*fights his way through the horde of comments*

I had no idea it was known as the golden hour! Obviously I knew of it, just not that it had a name.

Almost all of my landscapes are taken at dusk/crepuscule -- but I guess you noticed that, if you had a look through my blog :)

laxeylass said...

I know nothing about photography golden hours I just know this is Manx Magic again.

laxeylass said...

I know nothing about photography golden hours I just know this is Manx Magic again.

Anonymous said...

Superb photo Babooshka, and yes it did all make sense.

Susan English Mason said...

I loved the introduction. The best use for midday light, I think, is for capturing reflections like on cars, etc. Great Sky Watch post!

Unknown said...

Very nice caught and exposed image.
Very well done.
Have a nice weekend.

Anonymous said...

This is certainly magical. The framing is inspirational.

Dee said...

Really beautiful! Awesome capture! I've always loved these times of the day. Beautiful and soothing. Golden Hour is just perfect.

Anonymous said...

It's me at 100.

Anonymous said...

And me at 101. :) Great tutorial and a unique and beautiful picture!

alicesg said...

Very lovely and stunning photo. Love the rich colours of the sky. Thanks for the tips on the golden hour. Now I am wiser...lol

Lowell said...

You are a sucker for purple...I can see it in the sky. You caught this at exactly the right time and exposed it perfectly.

Some nights there just ain't no purple or magenta to be had...we get a lot of blue here...at a certain point, everything goes blue...sky, land, etc. Magical.

Thanks for visiting Cedar Key!

Connie T. said...

This picture is so beautiful. I love it.

Lew said...

eautiful! I agree that the early morn and afternoon sun makes for great pitures. Sometimes there is also a great photo looking away from the sun, instead of towards it.

George said...

What beautiful color you've captured. Thanks for the information on the Golden Hour.

lv2scpbk said...

Beautiful skywatch photo.

D said...

comment 105, is there really any point? is there really anything to add about this beautiful post?
probably not, but here's my 2 cents worth - a magnificent capture of the golden hour -thank you dear Babooshka.

Ellen said...

My mind immediately reacted with
There is a Golden Triangle!

Anonymous said...

I didn't know it's called the Golden Hour, but it definitely is my fav time of the day.

You've captured the moment perfectly!

Anonymous said...

Super pic Babooshka! I guess 112 comments so far confirms that!! lol

LOURDES C COSTA said...

Amazing Picture...
Thanks for sharing and for visiting me..
Have a nice week
HSWF:)

Anonymous said...

So Wonderful :)

i said...

Wow, that's a great shot! You take amazing pictures! Thanks for dropping by.

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