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Don't Stop Shooting Now - It's "The Golden Hour"!
By Jeff Cable
www.jeffcable.com
I can't tell you how many times I have been to the beach before sunset and seen crowds of people ready to take
that magical shot of the sun setting on the horizon. Sure, this can make for a nice picture, but what really
amazes me is how many of those people put their cameras away and leave the beach right after the sun has dipped
below the horizon. Oh, what they don't know!
If you take the time to wait for a couple of minutes, you will often be treated to an amazing display of colors that
you and your camera can capture. Sure, your natural light (the sun) has left your view, but the lighting in the
sky is still there and you will find colors that are not available during the day. This is often called
"The Golden Hour".
What I like most is that you can capture pictures that are more interesting and unique than the pictures from
the average point and shoot person. I was lucky enough to travel to Sydney, Australia last month and saw hundreds
of tourist taking the same pictures of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. They looked something
like this picture.
This is the typical picture that you would see from anyone who visits Sydney
But I came back later that evening and captured a much more interesting picture. Standing at the same
location and taking a shot at night gave me a much more unique and exciting shot.
I also wanted to takes pictures of the Harbour Bridge, but as you can tell from this picture, the weather was not ideal.
I came back to the same location later that same day and, in between the rain, I was able to capture this evening shot of the bridge with the beautiful dark sky
Here is how I take pictures before or after the sun is up.
The key to taking these types of pictures at night is the tripod. I know that it is a pain to pack a tripod for any
trip but I found that it is well worth it. I own a Manfrotto 3021BPRO tripod but wanted to get something a little
smaller and lighter for this trip so I used the Manfrotto 190MF4
(www.bogenimaging.us) with the Manfrotto 322RC2
head which is a little like a pistol grip. You can squeeze the trigger to move the head and when you let go of
the trigger, it locks into place. I thought about traveling with a smaller ball head but have become so
addicted to the pistol grip head that I packed it along for the long ride. These are all affordable items that
any hobbyist would appreciate.
Manfrotto 3021BPRO (with 322RC2 head) and Manfrotto 190MF4 tripods
The tripod and the tripod head give me stability but since any movement of the camera can cause some lack of clarity
in the final image, I am also careful on how I release the shutter of the camera. On these evening photos, I used
Canon's remote switch for my camera which can be purchased for approximately $50. There is a less expensive way to
take these pictures without spending another $50. You can set the self timer on your camera which will usually wait
between 5 to 10 seconds before releasing the shutter. Either way, you should get a nice shot without worrying about
camera shake.
For some this might seem obvious but…remember to turn off your flash. It is highly unlikely that you are going to
light up an entire city or ocean with a flash on your camera. How many times have we seen people try to do this?
Unless you are trying to take a picture of a person in front of the darkening sky, and hoping to add some fill
flash to that subject, the flash will be your enemy.
I have another great tip for taking night shots. If you have learned how to adjust your camera down a stop or two, this
will be useful for getting better night shots. For those of you who have not tried any type exposure compensation, you
should read the manual and give it a try. Most DSLR cameras will have this feature but not all point-and-shoot cameras
will offer this. It is a little more complicated but I find that this gives me better images by limiting the amount of
light in the final image.
Typically, I am not known as a very patient person, but patience does help when taking sunset and evening photos. Find
a great place for your shot and plan on staying in the same location for a while. Hopefully you are using at least a
1GB memory card (I prefer a>Lexar Professional 133x CompactFlash Cards—2GB and 4GB), and therefore can take a lot of photos while experimenting
with different exposures. When I find a great place for these evening shots, I will generally takes 10 or 20 of each
subject. When your shutter is open for many seconds, you never know what can end up in your shot. An airplane or a boat
or a person can spoil your photo. You will be amazed that each image will look a little different due to the ripples
in the water or the constantly changing colors in the sky.
Oh, one last piece of equipment which can make a world of difference. It is called a jacket and one of these can keep
you warm during a cold evening!
For anyone who is looking to impress their friends and expand their horizons (no pun intended) I encourage you to get up
early or stay out late and give this a try. Happy shooting!
Articles by Jeff Cable:
- Take a closer look - The fun of macro photography
- Shooting Fast - The Rule of Numbers
- What is the difference between a $300 lens and a $2000 lens?
- Shooting Underwater Photography on a Budget.
- The Sport of Photography
- Hurry up…It's time to slow down
Visit www.jeffcable.com
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