Greetings friends and amateur photographers!

I'm a keen photographer, albeit amateur, and most of the time it's better for me to be out seeking photo opportunities by myself. Why, you may ask? Because quite simply, I would drive my friends crazy! If I have the time, I'll quite happily wait for long periods till the scene that I believe has great potential just keeps improving, something I couldn't expect my friends to endure. And there's one favoured time above all others - the golden hour. Most photographers will agree that capturing in the golden hour is superior. 

This article is for those people who love photography and have the patience and the time to get the best out of the scene - if not on the first occasion, then indeed on another. It is written with the perspective of landscape photography rather than portrait photography, although much of the principles discussed here similarly apply to the latter.

It's all about the light

There are many points to consider when trying to attain that really great photo and one of these is light. Taking advantage of optimum light conditions helps markedly. Any two photos with the same composition, but taken at different times can vary dramatically. The light plays a very important role  at the time of capture, and it varies according to the season, the time of day, the sunshine and sky and cloud effects.

Sure, the subject you wish to capture is important. The main focus of the photo has to be something that is interesting or appealing to you; then of course there's composition to consider - how we compose the picture with just the right elements, considering what's in the foreground, mid range and background, trying to avoid any unwanted, ugly or distracting items (such as scaffolding on beautiful buildings, obtrusive cranes, rubbish bins, etc); the angle with which you shoot the subject from; keeping the camera level with the horizon; the 'rule of thirds'; camera steadiness and more.

But I'm digressing a little. Let's look now at the intended subject of this article, which is factors relating to light:

Harsh light vs. soft light

Have you noticed that when you take photos in the peak of summer in the peak daylight hours the result can be quite disappointing. The light at this time, particularly on a hot day with much glare, is too strong, too harsh. Bright midday sun can lead to overexposure, the image can appear either washed out or conversely saturated with too much colour and brightness. Subtle detail in the scene can be lost due to the excessive brightness.

 

This photo above that I took of a Sydney beach some years back is an example where the summer light is too harsh. Sure the subject is not so interesting, but the lighting conditions are too severe to begin with.

 

Here above is another example of a photo captured in the middle of the day. This time it's Perth's famous Cottesloe Beach. Although this was taken just outside of summer, it was still on a very warm day in peak sunlight hours. It's not a bad photo by any means, it's just that the lighting conditions are not ideal.

Here above is virtually the same scene captured at the height of summer, yet close to sunset. Overall the light is softer and the low setting sun is reflecting beautifully on the building. So the point I'm trying to make here is that photos captured in summer are best taken early in the morning or late in the day. In the middle of the day the light conditions are just not as desirable. In saying that however, there are exceptions to this rule.

Here is a photo captured in peak summer time light, but the interesting soft cloud effects help to diffuse the light a little and make the photo quite appealing. This type of cloud is called Cirrus and belongs to the classification of High Level Clouds. I'm always happy if this type of cloud is present when I want to shoot.

Certainly winter time in general tends to afford us softer light, even in the middle of the day, but the best results are still early or late.

End of day / long shadows

No matter the season, if it's still a reasonably sunny sky, the end of day produces long shadows, which brings a lot of character to a photo. Similarly, this can be said for early morning.

This photo above was taken in Sydney late on a winter's day. The sun has arrived at a low point in the sky and is thus creating the long shadows, making it quite interesting.

 

Above is another example of a photo I took featuring my own long shadow on a winter's day at dusk. The end of day timing is also helped along by the warm colours brought about by the 'golden hour', which we are yet to come to.

Sun behind you works best

You're probably already aware of this but photos taken 'into' the sun (within a range of roughly 45° on either side) are going to be disappointing. The general rule is to aim for the sun to be behind you or at least 90° to the side of you.

Take this example above. Here the theatre is captured looking into the direction of where the sun is. The sun doesn't have to be visible at all, but simply taking a photo in this direction brings about a very dark and dull photo.

Now compare that last example with this one above. Two factors came into play here to improve things:

1. I changed my direction and took the photo from another angle where I wasn't looking towards the sun.
2. After about an hour or so the sky started to change; the low level dark clouds from the former photo dissipated and in came the mid level 'Altocumulus' replacing them.

I was at that point able to take advantage of this great opportunity - to capture the striking art deco architecture of the theatre against a vivid sky.

Now there's also an exception to this rule about trying to have the sun behind you.  The example I'll use is at sunrise or sunset, where subjects in front of a rising sun or setting sun respectively can become silhouetted and make for beautiful photos. 

 

You'll no doubt agree that this is a pretty striking photo - I took this in Mykonos, Greece, a few years back and the sun, literally minutes from setting, had created silhouettes of the people near the windmills. Blackish tones contrast nicely against the orange. 

Overcast vs. sunny

This is an interesting topic; sure there are advantages to shooting landscape photography on both overcast and sunny days. Each offers a unique set of benefits. Sunny days can bring you vibrant colours that overcast days can't. Greater clarity, sharper details and interesting shadows are more achievable with sunshine, but I stress again that shooting on sunny days is best reserved for the times of the day when the sun is low. 

On the other hand grey skies can mean that even during the middle of the day the light is softer and more even. There's reduced glare and reduced harsh shadows, and certainly one of my favourites - a moody atmosphere can be achieved as a result of dramatic clouds.

 

This photo above is an example where a great shot can be achieved on an overcast day. I took this photo at Cape Grim on Tasmania's NW coast in March. A storm was brewing, the winds were fierce and the name Grim was certainly apt on this occasion - the result I think is a very moody photo.

Capturing in the golden hour

So now we come to my favourite time. This term 'golden hour' refers to that small window period at dawn and dusk, when the sun is very low in the sky. The angle of the sun during these times creates a warm, golden glow that is indeed aesthetically pleasing. Buildings and landscape formations that are directly hit by those golden rays can look striking against adjacent parts of the scene that are in shadow. The shadows are longer, yet soft, the colours are richer, yet at the same time subdued. And shooting at this time allows for a greater flexibility of composition. It's a beautiful time to photograph indeed, yet an obvious tip: leaving it too late, misses that great opportunity! 

 

In this example above, I captured the old malt silos in Cremorne, Melbourne in early evening. Certainly being end of day meant that the light was softer, but I wasn't entirely satisfied. I wanted something more impactful.

I decided to go back another time and capture the same scene in the 'Golden Hour'. I was happier with this result; here the photo is enhanced by the golden light hitting the silos against a gradually darkening, but still blue sky.

I wanted to share this photo with you. It's Melbourne's majestic Palais Theatre taken on a late winter's day afternoon. Granted the building is a yellow colour to begin with but here the building is literally gold with the low sun's rays lighting it up naturally.

I've always loved this building in Fitzroy, Melbourne. I've photographed it a lot. Here it is on grey day and it's an OK picture, but continue on please to see a notable comparison.

So here above is the same building captured recently in the golden hour. I think you'd agree how much more vivid and interesting this photo of the same scene is now. The orange, brown and gold colours of the building are now enhanced.

Rounding up

I can almost hear what you're saying now that you've come this far! 'The opportunity is not always there to patiently wait around for a great capture'. I understand this completely, and this applies particularly to when you're on vacation, perhaps you're travelling a lot and only visiting a place just for one day, or you're on a tight itinerary. I'm suggesting that these tips be used on occasions where waiting around or returning to a scene is practicable. But ideally I'm hoping that this article has brought you some awareness about lighting and inspiration in exploring photo opportunities where optimum lighting conditions are possible.

In closing, I decided to create a new calendar for 2024 that is dedicated to the best time of the day for photos. It's called the Golden Hour Calendar 2024. Take a look in my store if you wish; perhaps consider it as a gift idea for friends or family now that the end of 2023 is approaching. Happy snapping and thank you for taking the time to read my article.