The Perfect Time for Photography

Portrait and nature photographers know there is a perfect time for photography. This time is usually referred to as “the magical hour” by most photographers, this period is usually the hour after dawn and just before dusk.

perfect time for photography

A look around you amid the magical hours will reveal the world in a rather more beautiful color with long shadows and soft light. When the sun is quite lower, usually at dawn and dusk, its rays passes through more of the atmosphere than at noon. This results in a softer and more yellow light. This helps to make ordinary subjects alive and is an ideal time for portrait photography.

If you decide taking photographs at this time, you will have to position them in a direction that ensures the soft light falls at a slight angle on their face. This means having them look towards the sun and ensure they turn about 30-45 degrees to one side. They should be able to easily accomplish this without squinting since the sun is relatively lower at this point than at any point in the day and radiates less energy than usual. It is recommended that the background has beautiful, saturated colors to enhance the image, this means you would need to use a larger aperture since the light is low (f/2.8 or f/5 is considered okay). If this results in a slower shutter speed, you should increase the ISO setting on the camera if a tripod is not readily available.

At this time of the day, the winds are usually lesser than at other times of the day thus giving an added benefit. This is also the cooler part of the day, and most people prefer taking photographs at this time than when they’ll be all sweaty and squinting from the rays of the sun.

Another benefit of taking photographs at this period is that you can also use a smaller aperture and a slow shutter speed to blur moving water which may appear in the background of your photographs.  This can only be done with a tripod and is pretty much difficult to achieve during the heat of the day when the sun is shining brightly.

If the sky is cloudy during this period, the magic hour loses a lot of its enchantment. This is because you may still have a very soft light coupled with a low light level, but much of the great colors and long shadows would be lost. On the other side of the coin, a lot of cloud gathering would make the sweet light even better. You may only need to be patient as the clouds move to get your perfect scene.

The perfect time for photography, without a doubt, the best, and only time you can capture the sunrise and sunset. Always look away from the sun to see the effect of the light on your subjects.

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The Perfect Time for Photography
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Portrait and nature photographers know there is a perfect time for photography. This time is usually referred to as “the magical hour” by most photographers, this period is usually the hour after dawn and just before dusk.
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