The Only Barely Sunset Day
Since we have not had a clear sunrise or sunset for 4 days and next 4 look the same I managed to get this one shot off of our house. It will have to do.
Assignment
Let the light in, dear Framers! This week we're looking to make the most out of the good, soft, golden light that happens twice each day. Golden Hour, or "Magic Hour", is usually considered to be the first "hour" after sunrise and the last "hour" before sunset. The reason this happens, is because when the sun is low in the sky, the atmosphere naturally filters out blue and violet light allowing yellow and reds to reign supreme for a brief period. As photographers, we know that Golden Hour sunlight lends a magical quality to all sorts of images - portraits, landscapes and even street photography. This light is more flattering, warm and casts [slightly] softer and longer shadows - being able to use these qualities can significantly improve a photo. If you're planning on shooting cityscapes, you'll get vastly different light and shadows depending on which Golden Hour of the day you're shooting in. Golden Hour light is also highly directional due to the low angle of the sun over the horizon- be sure to use that to your advantage. Although, both sunrise and sunset offer golden light, there are subtle differences in the light especially in your area - do be observant about things like haze, clarity and the overall temperature of the air to make the most of these unique times of day. A geeky digression: the length of golden hour will vary with where you are on the planet and the time of year. Plan your shooting accordingly. Some golden hours last minutes, and others last hours :) Please Note: Not everyone has access to golden hour this week and that's OK! If you cannot shoot during golden hour for whatever reason, you can still capture the essence of golden hour, by creating soft orange light, that comes in at a low angle. You could do this with a lamp, or even an orange bounce reflector while the sun is out.
