Tips for Golden Hour Photography

Have you seen those beautiful nature photos with warm, golden light?

They were taken during the golden hour. This occurs when the sun is low in the sky at dawn and dusk. The light wraps everything in a soft glow and can make simple scenes look amazing.

Is it worth waking up early or staying out late to capture this light? Yes, it absolutely is.

Short Eared Owl flying over the water at sunrise

Short Eared Owl at Nene Washes, taken during the Golden Hour

Golden hour light reduces harsh shadows and enhances your photos, from wide landscapes to close-up shots. During this time, wildlife becomes active, creating unique chances for stunning photos.

In this article, we will explore the beauty of golden hour photography. I'll share tips for planning, shooting, and editing your photos to capture nature and wildlife beautifully.

Golden Hour Photography: A Personal Journey

Planning and dedication can lead to beautiful moments in photography. Let me share a trip to the North of England that taught me the value of capturing the golden hour.

When traveling, it can be hard to choose photography over sleep. I learned that sometimes, you must prioritise your passion.

One morning, while my friends slept, I woke up early. I quietly left our cottage in Bamburgh, Northumberland, and walked down the coastal road.

Bamburgh Castle at sunrise

The street lights lit my path as I passed Grace Darling's burial church which I remembered from the day before. I was looking for a narrow street that led to the beach.

At the beach, I met another photographer. We both wanted to capture the golden light of dawn. We had enough space to set up our cameras without getting in each other's way.

As I stood at the water's edge and turned to face the land, I felt a sense of reward. The golden light illuminated Bamburgh Castle, and its reflection danced in the saltwater pools nearby.

I had timed my visit perfectly and captured the stunning scene in all its golden hour glory.

That extra four-mile walk left my feet sore by the end of the day, but the experience was worth every step.

What Did I Learn About Golden Hour Photography?

This story highlights the importance of planning and timing in golden hour photography.

To ensure you are in the right place at the right time, use mobile apps like The Photographer's Ephemeris.

These apps provide sunrise and sunset times for specific locations. This allows you to time your shoots perfectly and maximise the golden hour.

Scout locations beforehand. Do not just show up during the golden hour and hope for the best. Explore the area during daylight hours. Identify potential obstacles and the best vantage points.

After scouting and planning, arrive at your location well before sunrise. This will help you beat the crowds and set up before the golden hour begins.

Curlew flying during Golden Hour over the Humber

Techniques for Stunning Golden Hour Shots

After planning and preparing, let's look at techniques that will help you capture stunning golden hour shots.

Control Depth of Field: Emphasize your subject.
Expose for Highlights: Capture a full range of tones.
Shoot in RAW: Gain flexibility in editing.

You can also incorporate foreground elements to add depth. Experiment with silhouettes and backlighting for dramatic effects.

Whether you are an experienced photographer or a beginner, these techniques help you create images that stand out and leave a lasting impression.

Controlling Depth of Field

Talking of standing out, controlling depth of field is a powerful technique to highlight your subject during the golden hour.

Using a wide aperture makes your main subject stand out sharply against a blurred background filled with warm, glowing light. This is ideal for wildlife portraits.

To master this technique, you need to understand how aperture affects depth of field.

The aperture is a camera setting that controls the amount of light entering the lens.

It is measured in f-stops, such as f/2.8 or f/16.

A lower f-stop number means a wider opening, which allows more light in.

This setting affects exposure and depth of field.

Exposure: A wider aperture lets in more light, which brightens the image. A smaller aperture allows less light, making the image darker.

Depth of Field: A wide aperture creates a shallow depth of field. This means the background is blurry, highlighting the subject. A small aperture increases depth of field, keeping more of the scene in focus.

Photo of Dunnock on our garden hedge at sunrise

A wide aperture threw the background of this Dunnock out of focus

By controlling depth of field during the golden hour, you guide the viewer's eye to your subject. This creates images that are both visually striking and emotionally engaging.

Using this technique with the warm light of the golden hour will help you capture nature's fleeting moments at their best.

Exposure: Balancing Golden Hour Light

To get the best results, you must also manage the exposure.

During the golden hour, light can vary a lot. You may see bright highlights and dark shadows competing for attention.

To handle this, you will need to know your camera's capabilities and use the right techniques to balance the light.

You might need to adjust the exposure compensation to prevent your subject from appearing dark against a bright background. Another option is to use spot metering to focus on the areas you want the viewer to look at.

Sometimes, you'll need to take full manual control. Taking multiple photos and bracketing your exposures can help capture the wide range of tones. These images can then be combined by editing them when you get back to the computer.

Spend time learning how to manage exposure during the golden hour. Doing so will help you capture the warmth and beauty of this special time, making images that resonate with your viewers.

Experimenting with different settings and techniques is always worth the effort.

A zoo photo, but it demonstrates keeping detail in the highlights (taken at sunset)

Shooting in RAW: The Full Potential of Golden Hour Photography

As I mentioned above, dealing with bright light and deep shadows in one image is challenging.

To capture the best images, you need to maximise dynamic range. Setting your camera to use RAW format can help with this.

RAW format keeps all the details from your camera’s sensor. This detail is lost in JPEG files. By using RAW, you can adjust white balance and enhance warm tones and highlights.

Not all cameras support RAW, and you will need specific software to edit RAW files. However, the benefits for golden hour photography are worth the effort.

With RAW, you gain control over your images.

Learning to use a histogram will help you understand light and exposure. It can change how you approach photography in these magical moments.

Learn about camera settings

Learn about the histogram

Select the scene you're shooting to get started:

Editing Your Golden Hour Photos

The golden hour offers great lighting for photography. However, your photos might need some editing to highlight their beauty. In this section, I'll share tips for improving your photos after taking them.

Whether you are a skilled photographer or just starting, learning to edit is a useful skill. Editing can fix mistakes and enhance your creative vision.

Here I'll cover some basic techniques.

Adjusting White Balance for Golden Hour Perfection

Editing golden hour photos starts with adjusting the white balance. This step enhances the beautiful golden tones in your images.

If you forgot to set the white balance while shooting, don't worry. If you shot in RAW format, you can fix it easily.

In your editing software, such as Lightroom or Photoshop, use the sliders to make small adjustments. Aim for a warm look without turning the photo bright orange.

Try setting the white balance to shade and seeing what difference it makes. It should warm things up a little.

A pair of Mallard highlighted by the golden hour light

Enhancing Golden Hour Images with Dodging and Burning

The golden hour provides soft, warm light that photographers love. However, even the most beautiful scenes can improve with selective editing. This editing helps direct the viewer's attention to the most important parts of the image.

Dodging and burning are key techniques in this process.

By learning these techniques, you can guide the viewer's focus and highlight the details that matter.

For example, you can emphasise the textures of a gnarled tree trunk in a landscape or make a subject's eyes stand out against a warm background in a wildlife portrait. Dodging and burning give you the control to take your images from beautiful to breathtaking.

Enhancing Golden Hour Images with Sharpening

Golden hour photographs need a finishing touch to shine. Sharpening helps bring out details and textures in your images.

You can highlight the veins of a leaf, the bark of a tree, or the patterns of a bird's feathers. Sharpening adds clarity and crispness, making your images engaging.

To sharpen your images effectively, find the right balance. If you sharpen too little, your images may look soft. If you sharpen too much, you might create unwanted halos or artifacts.

We will share tips for sharpening your images in Lightroom and Photoshop. You will learn how to apply the right amount of sharpening to your golden hour photos.