Golden hour, the time just after sunrise or before sunset, offers a unique and enchanting light that photographers love. This magical hour presents an opportunity to create images with a warm, soft, and dreamy quality that can't be replicated at any other time of the day. This helpful video tutorial offers 10 tips sure to improve your portraits.
Coming to you from Manny Ortiz, this great video shares practical tips for photographers to harness the full potential of golden hour. One key aspect he emphasizes is the use of backlit and front-lit techniques to achieve different aesthetic effects. Backlit shots, where the sun is behind the subject, create a dreamy look, while front-lit shots, using the sun as the key light, result in more saturated colors and richer skin tones. This distinction is crucial, as it allows photographers to experiment with different styles within the same session and better mold the light to their creative vision. Additionally, the video touches on the importance of managing exposure. The advice to slightly underexpose the subject to maintain detail in the sky without introducing noise is invaluable, especially in the delicate lighting conditions of golden hour.
Posing and interaction with the environment are also covered. Ortiz encourages natural, unforced poses and the use of props to add depth and narrative to the images. This approach not only makes the photos more engaging but also reflects your specific style, as this sort of shot can look a bit generic otherwise. The video further explores how to color grade images to enhance the golden hour effect, a technique particularly useful for those seeking to create a consistent and identifiable look in their portfolio. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Ortiz.
Excellent info for capture of a model during the fast to end Golden Hour. Everyone should learn an out of genre style. I am a follower just to keep upto date. The same info can be used for landscapes beach and other places. It comes and goes so fast if you just time it. Same with Blue Hour. Your the Pro but have you ever tried bracketing like 5 or 3 at +/- 2ev the key is you get 5 or 3 images to select from or join in a HDR program. For a small un blown out sun with clouds with color 5 @ +/-2 the key is no shadows on the subject (driftwood for me) even in the blue hour you get lit and sharp shadow side with no silhouettes. And with stars above and the rose color of a rising sun on the horizon and subject lit to boot.
ON1 PhotoRaw and Dxo's Nik Collection HDR Efex Pro 2 let you pick the the '0' (zero) center image where Lr does not. Also get some stars with no PS'ing on a lit beach from an Island across the bay, just follow a low tide tide with a fast lens and take a 10s capture. The faster the lens the faster the capture. No lighting required just sticks and remote shutter.
# 4 no flash just 30's of stillness with a 16-35mm f/4 @16mm, f/4 A7s