There is something almost magical about the way light behaves in the hour after sunrise and just before sunset. The world turns warm, shadows stretch long and soft, and even the most ordinary scene can look extraordinary.
That quality of light has a name — golden hour — and once you learn to work with it, your photography will never look the same.
Whether you are shooting portraits, landscapes, or just experimenting with your camera on a quiet evening, this light does half the work for you. I’ve prepped a guide to take you through the settings, techniques, and creative ideas that will help you make the most of it.
What Is Golden Hour?
Golden hour is the short window of time just after sunrise and just before sunset when the sun sits low on the horizon. Instead of the harsh, overhead light you get at midday, the sun’s rays travel through more of the atmosphere — filtering out the cooler blue tones and leaving you with warm, soft, directional light.
Why Photographers Love It
Shadows are longer and gentler. Colours are richer. Skin tones glow rather than wash out. Textures pop because the light hits surfaces at an angle rather than straight on. If you have ever wondered why certain photographs just feel warmer and more inviting, there is a good chance they were taken during this window.
Golden Hour vs Blue Hour
Blue hour is the period just before sunrise or just after sunset when the sky takes on a cool, dusky tone. Both are beautiful, but golden hour is generally more forgiving for beginners because there is still plenty of usable light.
When Does Golden Hour Happen?
Strictly speaking, this warm window is not always exactly an hour. Depending on your location, the time of year, and the weather, it can last anywhere from twenty minutes to well over an hour. Near the equator it passes quickly. In the UK during summer, it can stretch out beautifully.
How to Plan Your Shoot
The simplest way to find out when it starts is to check your local sunrise and sunset times. But if you want precision — and I would recommend it — apps like PhotoPills and The Photographer’s Ephemeris show you exact times and let you visualise where the sun will be relative to your scene.
My biggest tip: arrive early. If the warm light starts at half seven, be set up by seven. The light changes fast, and you do not want to be fiddling with your tripod while the best conditions slip away.
Best Camera Settings for Golden Hour
Getting your settings right does not need to be complicated. The light is naturally flattering, so a few small adjustments are usually all it takes.
ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed
Keep ISO low — around 100 to 400 — for clean, noise-free images. For aperture, open up to f/2.8 or f/1.8 for portraits with soft backgrounds, or try f/8 to f/11 for sharp landscapes. Shutter speed around 1/200 to 1/500 works for handheld — slow it down with a tripod as the light fades.
White Balance: The Setting Most People Get Wrong
If you leave your camera on Auto White Balance, it will try to correct the warmth out of the scene — which defeats the whole point. Set it to Cloudy or Shade to preserve those golden tones. If you shoot in RAW — and I strongly recommend it — you can fine-tune this in editing later.
Metering for Tricky Light
Switch to spot metering or centre-weighted metering. The sky is often much brighter than your subject at this time of day, and evaluative metering can be fooled by that contrast. Spot metering lets you expose for what matters — your subject.
Shooting Portraits in Golden Hour
This is arguably the most flattering light you will ever find for portraits. The warm tones make skin look healthy and radiant, and the low angle creates soft shadows that add depth without being harsh.
Front Lighting vs Backlighting
The simplest technique is to face your subject towards the light for even, glowing illumination. Once you are comfortable with that, try backlighting — positioning the sun behind them. This creates a gorgeous rim light around their hair and shoulders. Expose for their face rather than the bright background.
Using a Reflector
If backlight creates too much shadow on their face, a reflector makes an enormous difference. Even a simple white card will bounce warm light back onto your subject and fill in the shadows beautifully.
Download the iCAMERA eBook
Get a free copy of iCAMERA and we’ll also send you the latest iPhotography news, regular photo articles, and amazing deals straight to your inbox.
Already a member? Click here to login and download this eBook.
Landscape Photography at Golden Hour
Landscapes come alive during this time of day. The low, directional light adds depth, texture, and drama that you simply cannot get at midday.
Foreground Interest and Composition
A textured rock, a winding path, or tall grass catches that warm light beautifully and leads the viewer’s eye into the scene. Wide-angle lenses let you get close to the foreground while still capturing the expansive sky.
Silhouettes and Shadows
Find a subject with a strong shape — a tree, a person, a church spire — and position it against the bright sky. Expose for the sky and let the subject go dark. The contrast is striking.
Shadows are long and dramatic at this time of day too. Use them as leading lines, patterns, or frames. Shadows you would barely notice at noon become a feature in the right light. If you want to go deeper into techniques like these, our Landscape Photography course covers composition, exposure, and working with natural light in detail.
“Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light.”
Creative Golden Hour Ideas to Try
Once you have the basics down, this light opens up all sorts of creative possibilities.
Intentional Lens Flare
Shoot directly towards the sun — or just off-centre — and experiment with different angles. Wider apertures and vintage lenses produce more pronounced flare effects for a warm, dreamy look.
Shadow Abstracts and Light Trails
Look down at the ground and photograph the elongated shapes cast by trees, fences, or buildings. Desaturate later for a graphic feel. Or set up a tripod near a road as light fades and use a slow shutter speed to capture car light trails against the warm sky.
Shoot Through Objects
Try framing through flowers, leaves, archways, or even your own fingers. The warm backlight illuminates whatever you shoot through, adding colour and bokeh to the edges of your frame.
Golden Hour Photography FAQ
Q: What is the best time for golden hour photography?
Roughly the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. Apps like PhotoPills give you precise times for any date and location.
Q: Can I shoot golden hour with a smartphone?
Absolutely. Lock your exposure on your subject’s face, set white balance to Cloudy if your app allows it, and let the natural light do its thing.
Q: Do I need a tripod?
Not always, but it helps towards the end of the session when light levels drop. Essential for landscapes and long exposures — optional for portraits and street work.
Q: What is the difference between golden hour and blue hour?
Golden hour gives you warm, soft light just after sunrise or before sunset. Blue hour is the cooler, deeper-toned period after the sun dips below the horizon. Both are beautiful but the mood is very different.
Q: Does it work in cloudy weather?
Light cloud can diffuse the warmth even further for a softer effect. Heavy cloud blocks the golden tones, but you may still get beautiful diffused light.
Final Thoughts
Golden hour is one of those gifts in photography — a time of day when the light genuinely does the heavy lifting. Whether you are shooting your first portrait or your thousandth landscape, that warm, low-angle light makes everything look better.
The key is preparation. Know when it starts, arrive early, set your white balance deliberately, and keep moving as the light changes. If you have not made a habit of shooting during this window yet, try it this week — pick an evening, head somewhere with a good view, and experiment. You might be surprised how much better your images look with nothing more than better timing.
If you want to take your natural-light photography further, explore our Landscape Photography course — it is packed with techniques for making the most of every lighting condition.