Shooting the Golden Hours-Pt 3

All moving photography is about communicating an emotion, and communicating an image’s emotion occurs through the proper use of light. Images taken in the outdoors where the photographer wants to communicate the beauty of the natural environment calls for light that is soft, warm and directional, giving saturated colors and soft highlights and shadows…

Saronic Island of Hydra, Greece @ 6:30PM Summertime: f/10; 1/250sec; ISO-140

Saronic Island of Hydra, Greece @ 6:30PM Summertime: f/10; 1/250sec; ISO-140

When could you expect such a light? There is a time when such light occurs: this time is known as the magic hour. Best of all, baring weather issues, it happens twice a day.

Saronic Island of Hydra, Greece: f/10; 1/250sec; ISO-125

Saronic Island of Hydra, Greece: f/10; 1/250sec; ISO-125

Warm light is found just after sunrise or just before sunset, when the sun is low on the horizon. At this angle air molecules scatter the short wavelength blue light more than the long wavelength red light. This causes the sunlight to travel through more of the thicker air near the earth (the air gets thinner the higher one goes in the atmosphere). As a result, much of the blue part of the light is scattered. This leaves a warm light…

Saronic Island of Hydra, Greece  6:30PM: f/10; 1/250sec; ISO-100

Saronic Island of Hydra, Greece 6:30PM: f/10; 1/250sec; ISO-100

Light has a triple nature: color, direction, and quality. It is these characteristics of light that determine how our images turn out. Maximising the three characteristics will produce simply stunning photos that are a pleasure to behold.

Saronida, Saronic Coast Mainland Greece 7PM Summertime: f/8; 1/250sec; ISO-100

Saronida, Saronic Coast Mainland Greece 7PM Summertime: f/8; 1/250sec; ISO-100

While the warmest light will generally occur within about a half hour of sunrise and sunset, the light can, sometimes, begin to pick up a warm tone a couple of hours before sunset. The late afternoon tends to produce warmer light than in the morning. What a spectacular way to end the day…

Saronic Gulf off Mainland Greece 8PM Summertime: f/25; 1/200sec; ISO-100

Saronic Gulf off Mainland Greece 8PM Summertime: f/25; 1/200sec; ISO-100

About Alice

I run, I jump, I sing, I dance. Whether climbing trees, walls or stairs I do it at a clip. When out, my date is always Trusty Nikon (who never lets me down in the attire stakes; so smart in his black, with a pop of red!). Where does it lead, this love affair of mine? Well, its lead me to Dubai, via the matrimonial aisle, thanks to a gorgeous husband who whisked me from Coogee beach, Sydney into the Arabian Peninsula - to my new home, Dubai. I am a freelance writer and photographer and my wish is to snap away, to scribe and to share it all with you. Enjoy.
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