Golden Hour Photography: How to Make the Most of Magic Light

Photographers call the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset “golden hour” for a reason. The light during these times transforms ordinary scenes into something remarkable. If you’ve ever noticed that your photos look dramatically better in the early morning or late afternoon, golden hour is why. What Makes Golden Hour Special During golden hour, the sun sits low on the horizon. Its light travels through a much thicker layer of atmosphere compared to midday, and this changes the light in three important ways.