MItchell,
You are correct about the sunlight hitting objects. The light at that time of day is very soft and elegant. It also casts long and softly diffused shadows. Shooting in just the ambient light is wonderful, too, as it is completely diffused light and you end up with very, very soft shadows. Contrast that to shooting in the middle of the day -- blown out highlights and stark shadows. It's not worth shooting at that time of the day. Well, I guess it could be if you were after a specific look. I think, though, that if you want to convey an emotional depth and to connect with the viewer, that sunrise and sunset are the best times to shoot. The resulting images have a calming effect. Well, they do on me, anyway!
When sunlight is just hitting the tips of things, it makes for a very special scene. Take these two examples:
http://users.tpg.com.au/octane2/tcd.html
http://users.tpg.com.au/octane2/rtd.html
One is sunrise, the other is sunset.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lumen Miner
Ha! So simple, so unique in one! Bravo!
I have been searching for this ellusive "Golden hour". When you go out and shoot just after sunrise or before sunset, are you looking for spots where the orange light is hitting objects? I try to head out at these times, yet my subjects are not in the orange light, just illuminated by the ambient light, if that makes sense. Are you looking for the orange to highlight objects in frame or just because the light is not harsh? I am guessing the orange highlights are priceless given your images, it's kind of like a Gold hunt I guess.  |
Thanks, again.
H