If you’re looking to get beautiful photos for your wedding, it’s vital that you take full advantage of the golden hour. Now, some of you may not be familiar with what the golden hour is. This is why we thought it would be useful to put together a brief article about this subject. If this is something that you want to learn more about, read on as we break down everything you need to know about the golden hour.
What Is the Golden Hour of Photography?
A golden hour is a period of time sometime after sunrise or before sunset when the sun is shining brightly but has not risen high enough into the sky to create strong shadows, making the light soft and warm. Shadows are still present, but they are softer with less contrast, and colours are more vibrant during this time of day.
Lighting at dawn and dusk produces less contrast, reducing the chances of losing parts of your subject in strong shadows or blown-out highlights while adding a warm glow to the scene. It also allows you to see details with depth and texture that you might otherwise miss at other times of the day. There are also typically fewer people around at dawn and dusk than during other parts of the day, giving you a chance to take pictures in relative peace.
What Time Is the Golden Hour?
Roughly said, the golden hour is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. As such, it lasts one hour. However, what you can do during this time depends on your hemisphere, your latitude and the season. If you are close to the equator, where the sun rises quickly, you will have one hour every day (or a couple of minutes if it’s winter). If you are far north where the sun doesn’t rise very high during the day, but sinks quickly in summer and slowly in winter, you might have a whole day and more than one hour every day.
How Can You Utilize the Golden Hour of Photography for Your Wedding?
The golden hour rule states that the best time to take photographs is during the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. As well as being ideal times to take landscape shots and cityscapes, these are also good times to take outdoor portraits, shots of flowers, cars and even certain types of still life such as animals or food. By carefully following the golden hour rule, professional photographers have found that they can drastically improve the quality of their work.
If you’re in the middle of planning your wedding day, it would be wise to hire a wedding photographer. This will allow you to think about how you want your pictures to turn out and how you can take advantage of the golden hour. If you’re looking for soft, romantic shots and natural poses, then hire a photographer who is comfortable working during the golden hour.
Conclusion
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you gain a better understanding of what the golden hour is and how you can maximise it for your wedding. It would be best to keep everything you’ve learned here in mind so that you can have the best photos possible.
Are you looking for a photographer to document your special day? Weddings by AR provide bridegrooms with videography and wedding photography in Oxfordshire that will make you relive these special moments years down the road. Book us now through our website!
