The “golden hour”…….

[Larry S.]

I believe the golden hour can be just as important part of wildlife photography as it is in landscapes. Of course that depends if the critters show up at dawn or just before sunset. A few opportunities have convinced me the image is greatly enhanced with this dramatic lighting. I’m now staying out longer in the evening trying to take advantage of this.
This fledgling yellow crowned night heron flew past me as I was packing it in at 6pm one evening. When I put it in the computer I was surprised at the effect fading light had on the shot.

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I decided to put the “golden hour” to the test on identical scenes at different times. I shot the same shoreline at mid-day and as the sun was setting.

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I would welcome thoughts about the “golden hour” use in your wildlife photography. Does it dictate when you go out to shoot?

 

[Cameron T]

Pretty much everyone will tell you it's better for shooting in, for a few different reasons. I don't rely on it though, since I just shoot when I can these days.

 

[EricKlees]

Depends on what you are looking for. Shooting in golden hour light changes the WB and color of the feathers and other things too. The 2 images were shot in the same location. The first was the first few minutes of the sun coming up but not high enough to hit the water, just the Eagle. The 2nd image is about 3 hours before golden hour but low enough to not create harsh light/shadows on the Eagle. I don't think the Golden Hour shot is particularly better then the afternoon one and vise versa, they are just different.

 

[Robert S]

There are many things that influence how a thing looks to the camera. I can't sing, can't draw, can't paint, have no ability to create a sculpture, don't understand higher mathematics both pure and applied, can't dance. Googling is not going to make much difference.
BTW I find that the more photographs I take the better I get. I'm still just a happy snapper but it gives me something to do.
Some years ago I found this https://www.youtube.com/c/webofstories/playlists
At the time I was interested in how a person creates something novel. George Daniels provided some insights.

"And so I started on this watch. I made a couple of drawings of it, I got into a bit of a tangle now and again and realised that designing watches on paper and then making them wasn’t the way I was going to go through life. I had to make the watch without any drawings, and then when it was finished, make the drawings to use perhaps on some later occasion.
My interest in mechanics, it started so early in my life that I was able early on to make comparisons in quality of workmanship and design and style and it I think it’s obvious that mechanics came quite naturally to me, I didn't have to learn about them, I could just sense what was required. I never had any difficulty in learning about mechanical things. I mean a quick glance at a mechanical device and I could go away and make the whole thing from first principles. So that was very lucky for me and obviously helpful and so through a lot of association with mechanics, you know one learns to appreciate the elegance of mechanical things, especially if you study the horology of the 18th and 19thCenturies."

George Daniels created the coaxial escapement.

Not sure if there are any photographers recorded on 'web of stories'.

 

[Larry S.]

Depends on what you are looking for. Shooting in golden hour light changes the WB and color of the feathers and other things too. The 2 images were shot in the same location. The first was the first few minutes of the sun coming up but not high enough to hit the water, just the Eagle. The 2nd image is about 3 hours before golden hour but low enough to not create harsh light/shadows on the Eagle. I don't think the Golden Hour shot is particularly better then the afternoon one and vise versa, they are just different.

Thanks for the input Eric. Good points. Appears every image does not benefit from this lighting….

 

[EricKlees]

Thanks for the input Eric. Good points. Appears every image does not benefit from this lighting….

Yeah it's just a preference that could change day to day or assignment to assignment.

 

[fulltimewanderer]

Golden hour in the AM up to late morning and late afternoon/early evening through PM Golden hour plus a little is first on my list. Followed by cloudy/overcast days that extend shooting hours, preferably no rain. But then again any day, any time, any where works too, just have fun and enjoy your time with camera in hand.

 

[EricKlees]

Golden hour in the AM up to late morning and late afternoon/early evening through PM Golden hour plus a little is first on my list. Followed by cloudy/overcast days that extend shooting hours, preferably no rain. But then again any day, any time, any where works too, just have fun and enjoy your time with camera in hand.

Agree, I am most of the time at my locations just before or at sunrise. MY perfect day is clear and sunny from sunrise will 9-10am and then light clouds to defuse the light till about 2pm then clear again for nice late late in the day. A day like that I could be out sun up to sun down

 

[Cameron T]

My experience is golden hour (ish) shots give more dramatic lighting while still not being harsh. It also allows for pictures that a lot of people (who aren't like us, going out in the morning or at night to shoot) get to see for the first time while shots in normal light are much more common, and feel more boring because of it (even if they aren't).

I also like shooting into brush/under trees, with a good contrast of background when it's not the more diffuse early/late daylight.

 

[Doomrider74]

I'm not saying it's bad, I just think the "golden hour" is somewhat overdone; often leading to oversaturated, unnatural-looking subject colours. The best thing about it is the softer light: The colouration can be too much, sometimes.

 

[NatureBoy]

Its the reason Im up so early. I generally love the effect on ponds or open areas. In the woods it can be a little different, lots of variables.
Harsh light destroys bird in tree shots quite often. So yeah, Golden hour and the hour after but Im not ness heading home, just changing location after that.

 

[Viathelens]

Yes, the dawn and dusk hours do make nice, soft light and can provide some extra depth to color. But other hours can work, too. I generally try to avoid the mid-afternoon hours unless it is overcast or cloudy in which case I can shoot all day. But blue light can make nice images, too, depending upon the image and mid-day light can work well with black and white images. As the saying goes, "it's all about the light."

 

[O]

I believe the golden hour can be just as important part of wildlife photography as it is in landscapes. Of course that depends if the critters show up at dawn or just before sunset. A few opportunities have convinced me the image is greatly enhanced with this dramatic lighting. I’m now staying out longer in the evening trying to take advantage of this.
This fledgling yellow crowned night heron flew past me as I was packing it in at 6pm one evening. When I put it in the computer I was surprised at the effect fading light had on the shot.
View attachment 74040

I decided to put the “golden hour” to the test on identical scenes at different times. I shot the same shoreline at mid-day and as the sun was setting.
View attachment 74041



View attachment 74042

I would welcome thoughts about the “golden hour” use in your wildlife photography. Does it dictate when you go out to shoot?

For optimum colour mood or dynamic range, preserving highlights Golden hour has been undoubtedly the most preferred time to photograph where and when ever possible or its suitable, be it wild life, landscape, seascape, street scape, nature.

I find the brighter the light like say midday the more it may wash out colour or has the potential of making highlights potentially more of a challenge.

Myself regardless of time of day i use always as default -07ev on my D850 in order to preserve detail in the highlights, of course i do adjust it as needed in extreme cases.

Only an opinion

 

[Wrogu]

Its either golden, blue hour or a cloudy day. The problem is with strong contrasts and deep shadows which are cast during sunny days in midday.

Keep in mind that certain species have different preferences when it comes to their activities. For instance beeeaters are active way after golden hour at my place. While in hungary they get atctive just as the sun rises. It comes to insect activity, at my place it is way colder and beeeaters' prey sleeps past golden hour. That's why I look for cloudy days and shoot at noon.