Golden Hour (photography)
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In
photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is emplo ...
, the golden hour is the period of
daytime Daytime as observed on Earth is the period of the day during which a given location experiences natural illumination from direct sunlight. Daytime occurs when the Sun appears above the local horizon, that is, anywhere on the globe's hemi ...
shortly after
sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology A ...
or before
sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...
, during which
daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunligh ...
is redder and softer than when the
sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
is higher in the sky. The golden hour is also sometimes called the "magic hour," especially by
cinematographers The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
and
photographers A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographers As in other ...
. During these times, the brightness of the sky matches the brightness of streetlights, signs, car headlights and lit windows. The period of time shortly before the magic hour at sunrise, or after it at sunset, is called the "
blue hour The blue hour (from French ; ) is the period of twilight (in the morning or evening, around the nautical stage) when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon. During this time, the remaining sunlight takes on a mostly blue shade. T ...
". This is when the sun is at a significant depth below the horizon, when residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade, and there are no sharp shadows because the sun either has not risen, or has set.


Details

upleft, The
daylight_ Daylight_is_the_combination_of_all_direct_and_indirect_sunlight_during_the_daytime._This_includes_direct_sunlight,_diffuse_sky_radiation,_and_(often)_both_of_these_reflected_by_Earth_and_terrestrial_objects,_like_landforms_and_buildings._Sunligh_...
_varies_with_the_time_of_day._It_tends_to_be_around_2,000_K_shortly_after_sunrise_ Sunrise_(or_sunup)_is_the_moment_when_the_upper_rim_of_the__Sun_appears_on_the_horizon_in_the_morning._The_term_can_also_refer_to_the_entire_process_of_the_solar_disk_crossing_the_horizon_and_its_accompanying__atmospheric_effects. _Terminology A_...
_or_before_sunset_ Sunset,_also_known_as_sundown,_is_the_daily_disappearance_of_the__Sun_below_the_horizon_due_to__Earth's_rotation._As_viewed_from_everywhere_on_Earth_(except_the_North_and_South_poles),_the__equinox_Sun_sets_due_west_at_the_moment_of_both_the_spr_...
,_around_3,500_K_during_"golden_hour",_and_around_5,500_K_at_noon.html" "title="color temperature of
daylight Daylight is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight during the daytime. This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and (often) both of these reflected by Earth and terrestrial objects, like landforms and buildings. Sunligh ...
varies with the time of day. It tends to be around 2,000 K shortly after
sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology A ...
or before
sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...
, around 3,500 K during "golden hour", and around 5,500 K at noon">midday Noon (or midday) is 12 o'clock in the daytime. It is written as 12 noon, 12:00 m. (for meridiem, literally 12:00 noon), 12 p.m. (for post meridiem, literally "after noon"), 12 pm, or 12:00 (using a 24-hour clock) or 1200 (military time). Solar ...
. The color temperature can also change significantly with altitude,
latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...
, season, and weather conditions. When the
sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
is low above the
horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...
,
sunlight Sunlight is a portion of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun, in particular infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light. On Earth, sunlight is scattered and filtered through Earth's atmosphere, and is obvious as daylight when ...
rays must penetrate the
atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A ...
for a greater distance, reducing the intensity of the direct light, so that more of the illumination comes from indirect light from the sky, reducing the
lighting ratio Lighting ratio in photography refers to the comparison of key light (the main source of light from which shadows fall) to the fill light (the light that fills in the shadow areas). The higher the lighting ratio, the higher the contrast of the image ...
. This is technically a type of lighting
diffusion Diffusion is the net movement of anything (for example, atoms, ions, molecules, energy) generally from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration. Diffusion is driven by a gradient in Gibbs free energy or chemical ...
. More blue light is
scattered Scattered may refer to: Music * ''Scattered'' (album), a 2010 album by The Handsome Family * "Scattered" (The Kinks song), 1993 * "Scattered", a song by Ace Young * "Scattered", a song by Lauren Jauregui * "Scattered", a song by Green Day from ' ...
, so if the sun is present, its light appears more reddish. In addition, the sun's low angle above the horizon produces longer shadows. The term ''hour'' is used figuratively; the effect has no clearly defined duration and varies according to season and latitude. The character of the lighting is determined by the sun's
altitude Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
, and the time for the sun to move from the horizon to a specified altitude depends on a location's
latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...
and the time of year. In
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, at an hour after sunrise or an hour before
sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...
, the sun has an altitude of about 10–12°. For a location closer to the
Equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can also ...
, the same altitude is reached in less than an hour, and for a location farther from the equator, the altitude is reached in more than one hour. For a location sufficiently far from the equator, the sun may not reach an altitude of 10°, and the golden hour lasts for the entire day in certain seasons. In the middle of the day, the bright overhead sun can create strong highlights and dark
shadow A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two- dimensional silhouett ...
s. The degree to which
overexposure In photography, exposure is the amount of light per unit area (the image plane's illuminance times the exposure time) reaching a frame of photographic film or the surface of an electronic image sensor, as determined by shutter speed, lens F- ...
can occur varies because different types of film and digital cameras have different
dynamic range Dynamic range (abbreviated DR, DNR, or DYR) is the ratio between the largest and smallest values that a certain quantity can assume. It is often used in the context of signals, like sound and light. It is measured either as a ratio or as a base ...
s. This harsh lighting problem is particularly important in portrait photography, where a
fill flash Fill flash is a photographic technique used to brighten deep shadow areas, typically outdoors on sunny days, though the technique is useful any time the background is significantly brighter than the subject of the photograph, particularly in back ...
is often necessary to balance lighting across the subject's face or body, filling in strong shadows that are usually considered undesirable. Because the contrast is less during the golden hour, shadows are less dark, and highlights are less likely to be overexposed. In
landscape photography Landscape photography shows the spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes ...
, the warm color of the low sun is often considered desirable to enhance the colours of the scene. It is the best time of day for natural photography when diffuse and warm light is desired. file:Bangkok skytrain sunset.jpg,
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
during the golden hour File:Portrait of a young boy with cotton necklace.jpg, Portrait photo taken during the golden hour File:Sunset at Long Beach (South Africa).jpg, Golden hour at Long Beach in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
File:Jakarta golden hour.jpg, A view of
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...
's skyline during the golden hour


See also

*
Alpenglow Alpenglow (from german: Alpenglühen, lit=Alps glow; it, enrosadira) is an optical phenomenon that appears as a horizontal reddish glow near the horizon opposite to the Sun when the solar disk is just below the horizon. Description Stric ...
*
Belt of Venus The Belt of Venus (also called Venus's Girdle, the antitwilight arch, or antitwilight) is an atmospheric phenomenon visible shortly before sunrise or after sunset, during civil twilight. It is a pinkish glow that surrounds the observer, extend ...
*
Blue hour The blue hour (from French ; ) is the period of twilight (in the morning or evening, around the nautical stage) when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon. During this time, the remaining sunlight takes on a mostly blue shade. T ...


References


Bibliography

* Bermingham, Alan. 2003. ''Location Lighting for Television''. Boston:
Focal Press Focal Press is a publisher of creative and applied media books and it is an imprint of Routledge/Taylor & Francis. Company history The firm was founded in London in 1938 by Andor Kraszna-Krausz, a Hungarian photographer who migrated to Englan ...
. * Lynch, David K., and William Livingston. 1995. ''Color and Light in Nature''. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...
. * Lynch-Johnt, Barbara A., and Michelle Perkins. 2008. ''Illustrated Dictionary of Photography: The Professional's Guide to Terms and Techniques''. Buffalo, NY: Amherst Media, Inc. * Singleton, Ralph S., and James A. Conrad. 2000. ''Filmmaker's Dictionary''. 2nd ed. Ed. Janna Wong Healy. Hollywood, California: Lone Eagle Publishing Company. * Thomas, Woodlief, ed. 1973. ''SPSE Handbook of Photographic Science and Engineering''. New York:
John Wiley and Sons John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in ...
.


External links

*
Golden Hour Calculator

Twilight Calculator – Blue Hour / Golden Hour Table

Golden Hour Photography: A Landscape Photographer's Guide
{{Parts of a day Aesthetic beauty Aesthetics Atmospheric optical phenomena Beauty Cinematic techniques Cinematography Concepts in aesthetics Dawn Earth phenomena Evening Film production Filmmaking Landscape photography Parts of a day Photography