What Is Golden Hour? A Photographer Explains
If you’ve been talking to photographers or looking around for the best photographer to take your family photos, you’ve probably run across the phrase golden hour more than a few times lately. It’s one of those terms that pops up on just about every photographer’s Instagram these days.
But what is golden hour? When is this magic hour of the day? Oh, and why does it matter so much for scheduling your photo shoot? I’m about to break it all down, along with a few tips on scheduling your own photo session!
What Is the Golden Hour of the Day?
So what is golden hour? That’s the question you came here for, so let’s get it answered!
Sometimes called “magic hour” by photographers, golden hour is defined as that last hour of daylight that occurs right before sunset or the first hour of day right after the sun rises.
Have you ever woken up early to find that everything seems to be bathed in a soft yellow light or noticed that the light outside tends to get warmer and more orange as the day’s end gets closer? Dare I say it gets more … golden?
This happens when the sun has just risen or is getting closer to setting – and closer to the horizon – creating a warm, gentle light that photographers (and our clients!) absolutely love. This light is softer, making it more flattering for just about everyone.
Just take a look at this couple’s portrait taken right after their surprise proposal in the golden light of golden hour:
Notice how the light has a yellow tinge and the couple seems to glow? This is one of the many benefits of having your photos taken at golden hour.
The other major benefit is also apparent in this photo: Because the sun has slipped far down in the sky toward the horizon, you don’t see any of the harsh shadows that show up in photos taken at times of the day when the sun is higher in the sky.
Why Does the Sun Change Color at Golden Hour?
What makes this golden time period so significant? It’s only available at these two distinct times of the day while the light in between or after takes on different color tones.
Rayleigh Scattering and the Color of the Sky
The phenomena behind the changing colors of the sun (and the sky) throughout the day is what physicists call Rayleigh Scattering.
In a nutshell, Rayleigh Scattering is responsible for the scattering of sunlight or other electromagnetic waves by particles or molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere. When sunlight passes through the atmosphere to reach us down here on Earth, it encounters air molecules and other small particles along the way. These tiny particles do a better job of “scattering” shorter wavelengths of light – those on the bluer end of the spectrum – than they do they longer wavelengths (the reds and oranges you see around golden hour).
Ever wondered why the sky is blue? It’s because of Rayleigh Scattering!
During the daytime, blue light from the sun is scattered by air molecules, making it seem to come from all parts of the sky. Even though the sun is emitting white light, which is a mixture of various colors, it looks as though it’s blue because those shorter wavelengths scatter better.
The time of day affects that scattering.
At golden hour, with the sun positioned lower in the sky than it is at mid-day, sunlight has to pass through more of the Earth’s atmosphere. That thicker atmosphere means the harsher blue and green wavelengths are more scattered, and the result is all that golden goodness!
Why Is Golden Hour Important for Photography?
Taking a look at the photos above, you’re probably already seeing why golden hour sessions are so coveted by clients.
But is it really worth it to shift around a whole day just to get your photos taken during a golden hour?
Here are just a few reasons I (and other photographer pals!) say yes!
- You get flattering light. – Golden hour light doesn’t come from high above your head. It comes from a lower angle, meaning you have fewer harsh shadows and more flattering highlights!
- You don’t have to squint! – Nothing is worse than having a bunch of photos where everyone’s nose is scrunched up and their eyes are nearly closed because they’re trying to see in harsh sunlight. At golden hour the lower angle of the sun means less glare and more natural and relaxed expressions.
- Your photos are warmer and more inviting. – The warm tones that come out in the light of golden hour tend to add a hint of romance or magic to photos, setting a mood and making the end result more inviting!
When Is Golden Hour?
As a photographer, I tend to offer sessions with golden hour in mind, so I don’t make my clients go searching for the sunrise and sunset times themselves when they call to book! But if you’re looking at your calendar and trying to plan for an upcoming session, you may want to know when golden hour is so you can schedule.
I already mentioned that golden hour occurs an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunrise, but when should you set aside time for a photo session?
Well, that depends on a number of factors, including:
- The time of year
- The time zone you’re in
- Your latitude and longitude
- Your altitude
Time of Year
You’ve probably noticed (perhaps with the same kind of dread I start to feel as fall hits) that the sun sets earlier in the day during the winter months and rises earlier too.
So the evening golden hour is significantly earlier in January than it is in July, while the opposite is true of the morning golden hour.
Latitude and Longitude
When I check the sunrise and sunset times before booking a portrait session with a client, I am not just considering the time but also double checking that whatever source of information I’m reviewing has taken my location into consideration.
Because of the way the Earth tilts toward and away from the sun throughout the year, where you live affects how many hours of daylight you will get on any given day. For people who live close to the Earth’s equator, that doesn’t vary much. They get close to 12 hours of sunlight all year long.
The further away you are from the equator, however, the less sunlight you’re going to get at certain times of the year. In places closer to the North or South Poles, for example, they may have times of constant dark (and other times of constant sunlight).
As a photographer based in upstate New York, I get significantly less sunlight in winter than photographers who are based in Florida. Even though we’re both located on the East Coast of the United States, the Earth’s southern pole tilts closer to the sun during winter, which means upstate New York is farther away from the sun than Florida!
It’s also worth noting that the longitude (that’s how far east or west you are of the prime meridian) of Florida is west of New York. Once again, we’re both based on the East Coast of the country, but we’re far enough apart that Florida photographers tend to see the sun rising later and setting later than states that sit further east.
Time Zones
I already mentioned the fact that longitude matters, and that comes into play in your time zone too. Florida and New York sit in the same time zone and we see different sunrises and sunsets, but things changer more drastically when you start to look at the golden hour in, say, Michigan.
Folks in Detroit are significantly further west of folks in Boston, Mass. Even though both cities are located within the Eastern Time Zone, the distance between them means their golden hours are nearly a whole hour apart!
It’s estimated that for every 70 miles you travel west within your time zone, you can expect the sun to rise about 4 minutes later.
Altitude
One of the special services I offer when people book a photo session with me is location scouting. I do this so I can get a look at the location not just to see what I might need to bring or provide ideas to my clients but also because I like to see how the location of the property is affected by the sunlight at golden hour.
If a property is located on a hillside, for example, we may be in dark shadow at the same time that a hilltop locale is enjoying beautiful golden light!
