Golden Hour in photography and videography
The low Sun turns red, as a result, the light gets soft and reddish, even goldish. Pictures and videos shot during this short period look cozy, romantic, and nostalgic.
It is hard to overestimate the meaning of Golden Hour for filmography. This type of lighting is very flattering: it hides all the possible imperfections, smooths the colours and, in the contrast to the harsh midday Sun, softens the shadows.
Another thing that makes pics shot at this time so special – they depict something that we usually don’t see, just because we don’t get up so early or stay out so late.
The Golden Hour time
Golden Hour is not a real hour. Its duration is defined by the season and the territory latitude. Overall, the further the country from the Equator is, the longer this golden period lasts. Above the Arctic Circle, for example, it can last almost 24 hours a day.
On average, in Europe, the USA and other countries, it takes about 20-30 minutes right after the sunrise or before the sunset. Mind that the morning or the evening may be cloudy, and if the sky is overcast, there is no Golden Hour.
To chase it and get the exact time when it starts/ends, you can use the following tips:
- observe the weather the day before the planned shooting;
- examine the weather forecasts;
- use a weather app to see if it changes in real time.
If you don’t manage to catch it – don’t worry! Tomorrow is another day. And you still can enjoy the time right before the sunrise and after the sunset – so called, Blue Hour.
How to use Golden Hour
As the very definition implies, Golden Hour is the perfect time for outdoors shooting. It doesn’t matter what you record or take photos of – landscapes, portraits or whatever else.
Because of the low Sun objects get a shining halo, and there is a kind of haze in the air – a natural bokeh effect.
All you need – is to choose a perfect position. If the rising/setting Sun is behind the objects/people, they’ll turn into sunlit silhouettes. If the light flows from the side and – even better – bounces from the glass (or special reflectors), the figures will get a light-rim.
Technical tips:
- set a wide aperture;
- use manual mode instead of automatic one and try different exposures;
- use your smartphone if you want – the result may look no worse.
Photo and video editing
Even the best shootings may need the further cutting, looping, combining with audio, muting, etc. And that’s when Clideo’s editing tools come in handy.
They are free for files up to 500 MB each, and you can process as many pics or videos per a day, as you need.
Clideo service works online on any device. It’s extremely user-friendly: there are even language options for the interface if English is not your native. Each action may be performed in three simple steps, and if you need a manual – you can find one on every tool’s page.
