Light is essential in photography. It is, in itself, a universe to explore, but also what makes photography. It is the raw material but difficult to control. You have to get to know her. As a general rule, the most beautiful lights are the ones that also last the least time. The right times are during the blue hours or the golden hours. The main thing is to get an idea of the composition of the photograph in order to know the most appropriate time. But always give free rein to improvisation. Depending on the time of day you are at, natural light has characteristics that are not always appropriate. It is important to focus on evening and morning hours.

The blue hour and the golden hour

It is also called the “magic hour.” This is the moment that follows the sunrise very closely or the moment before sunset.It is considered the time to get a spectacular photo. It is at this point that the sun emits a softer natural light, often pink-reddish, which makes it easy to create artistic images, with a certain dramatism.

The essentials

You don’t have to have a well-defined subject to get a quality image. A landscape, a mountain that is cut out from the sky, the image is itself sublimated. Note, always favor the registration of files in RAW format. This allows for more opportunities in post production for those who like to retouch images. Then the light changes quickly at these times. It is important to manually set up the white balance. This will prevent some disappointments and precisely track the brightness. Since the blue hours and the golden hours are not long and the brightness changes fast, you can make as many shots as possible especially in the digital age.

Depending on what you are looking for, for example a softer and nicer tone, it is best to trigger 15 minutes before the golden hour and 15 minutes after for the evening. The reddish-pink tone won’t be so marked.

If you look for a photo with more clarity, it is best to trigger after the golden hour of the morning, which is clearer than that of the evening, because of the mist produced by the morning humidity present in the atmosphere. Similarly, it has a cooler tone that can improve the colors on your shots.

The blue hour, can be defined as the opposite of the golden hour because it would be the moment just before sunrise and the moment just after sunset. At this point, the contrast is low, while the light produces a very cool bluish tone, with pastel colors of a more tenuous light.

Morning or late hours

The light diffuses, at these times, illuminates the subject or element effortlessly but it drops quickly in the evening or ends quickly in the morning. For this it is important to either find tricks in order to avoid certain mistakes. A tripod remains an essential tool to avoid blurring but also to allow for a slow shutter speed. It is even more so at these times when the light is less present. Another trick if the possibility arises, the reflection on a surface can increase the brightness.