So you’ve heard the term and you’re not quite sure why photographers you reach out to obsess over the term “golden hour”
What does it mean? Why all the fuss? Are these people weirdos?
Let me shed some light (ha, see what I did there) on the subject and explain: why golden hour is so important!
The main gist is: Golden Hour Produces Gorgeous Light
Golden hour actually consists of TWO timeframes: it’s the hour as the sun rises.. AND the hour as the sun sets. The reason why it’s been deemed “golden” is because the way the light hits objects during that hour is extremely soft, golden and buttery. My couples know that Kate describes it as “yummy” light haha but the photos above are examples of the time frame right before the sun actually rose at sunrise! The photos below are the same shoot, but after the sun hits the horizon (approaching the end of the golden hour).
The reason this light is so incredible, is because it creates a softer glow on skin tones, as opposed to more harsh or direct light. It makes the photos more cohesive and all around blend together well because of the softness of the light. Below are more examples of how light affects people and surroundings differently depending on the type of light we are working with.
Is there anything wrong with the photos above? ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is considered more direct sunlight or harsh light. There is nothing wrong with that light, it just produces a different result! Below are examples of golden hour at sunset from the same wedding.
Now as you can see, BOTH sets of images are beautiful. Just because the golden hour photos (above) are taken during that time doesn’t make the other set of images bad. Again, it just has to do with how the light hits things differently. If you prefer the look of the the above images, then you know that you’re a fan of golden hour and you’ll want to plan for your couple’s portraits to be during that time! (Or whatever portion of the day is most important to you for dreamy light)
Another factor of utilizing sunset/sunrise is how the light reflects off the clouds during that time! Sunset allows you to possibly catch a fabulous opportunity for a silhouette image like the ones below:
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The last thing I want to share in regards to this post comes from a bride herself. I was not the photographer for this bride (the photographer’s name is Jordan Voth – check out the wedding here – no seriously, CHECK IT OUT!!!) but she posted the caption below on her instagram photo that is linked. I thought that her insights were super helpful and wanted to share them! Here are two photos from her wedding – AGAIN, NOT MY PHOTOS!! CHECK OUT THE LINK ABOVE TO ACTUALLY VIEW THE PHOTOGRAPHER, JORDAN VOTH, AND HIS WEDDING GALLERY FROM THIS COUPLE’S WEDDING DAY!
Lauren Rote (https://www.instagram.com/lauren_rote/ )
(link to post: https://www.instagram.com/p/By-n9v6gL9f/ )
Here is what Lauren had to say:
“Let’s call this tip: “Timing the S u n.”
I know I’m going to get some eye rolls for this one, but hey ♀️, my neuroticism really paid off. I’m also not really sure if this tip will be helpful to brides who are getting married outdoors, or…cause more stress. Keep me posted on that.
x
Ok. So 2 weeks before our wedding, I went to our venue to see where the sun would be at the time our ceremony was set to start. Why? Because I’m nuts. Also because lighting is SO important in photography and god knows we already spent so much on this wedding I was going to get everything right.
I was looking to see where shadows were hitting the ground. Would the sun be in Edmonds face as I came down the aisle? Would there be shadows of peoples heads landing on the alter? Long story short – we moved the entire direction of the ceremony because as you can see, there were lots of shadows. I nervously rallied my Rental Co, Florist, & Planner to the venue to discuss what would be possible.
x
In the 2nd image, you can see we turned everything 90 degrees to the left. The next few images are me and @leslie_kaplan determining where the flower wall would best fit. Measuring the length & width of the property, crossing our fingers. All to avoid harsh shadows. ✨Wedding Photographers can attest how important this is!✨ Last image is the end of our 20 minute ceremony. Mission accomplished. ” – Lauren Rote (https://www.instagram.com/lauren_rote/ ) (link to post: https://www.instagram.com/p/By-n9v6gL9f/ )
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This is Kate now ;)… I share all this not to micromanage your wedding. Again, I’ve said this countless times during this post – there is nothing wrong with harsh light!!!!! But it all comes down to preference. If you’re not a fan of the way direct light looks in images, then make sure to communicate with your photographer, planner, maid of honor or whoever might be helping to plan your wedding to make sure that you guys can work together in figuring out what the best options are for your wedding day! A small carousel of golden hour images are below too!
Understanding light makes all the difference 🙂
Cheers guys!
Kate
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