Basic Tips For Shooting In Golden Hour/Blue Hour

Being holed up indoors brings a new appreciation to life outside our windows. Still, we need to recognize the "new normal" lifestyle. It's still best to limit our interactions with the outside world, just to be safe. If you should go out with your camera, it would be wise to go when there's good lighting — during Golden Hour or Blue Hour, to be specific. Golden Hour is the time of daylight after sunrise or before sunset, while Blue Hour is the period of twilight in the morning and evening, usually before sunrise and after sunset.

These tips may already be familiar to you, but they're also easy to forget, so take note of these reminders and draw inspiration from these lovely photos taken by community members!

Watch the Sky

This is probably a no-brainer, but the skies look extra-magical in Golden Hour and Blue Hour. As the sun rises or sets, the sky changes its colors into beautiful gradients. No matter how many times you take photos, no two are the same. If you're still observing quarantine, consider starting a photo series of the changing skies. Mark a spot in your home, by the window or backyard, and make it a point to take photos of the sky every Golden or Blue Hour.

Use Natural Lighting Wisely

Of course, this is not to suggest that you can't take portraits during blue hour or street scenes during golden hour, but to give you an idea of what works best in specific lighting situations.

Blue Hour

City lights look fantastic glowing against the deepening blue sky, so urban shots are fantastic at this time of the day. Remember to go out only if your respective cities/countries allow you, and practice safety precautions!

Golden Hour

Take advantage of the lighting and shoot some portraits — the golden light softens skin tones. Alternatively, have your subject stand against the light to highlight their hair.

Try Different Kinds of Film

Use redscale film to intensify the golden gradient, cross-process some slides to boost the colors, or use Lomography's special film offerings (such as LomoChrome Purple or LomoChrome Metropolis to alter the colors. You're probably wondering why we would even suggest this (given that the sky's color palette is beautiful as it is), but it's worth a try if color-shifting intrigues you.

If you have any tips and ideas to add to this list, share them in the comments section!

2020-07-28 #gear #people #tutorials #lighting #tipster #blue-hour #golden-hour #different-light