How To Film At Golden Hour
What is meant by golden hour?
In photography, the golden hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky.
Why is it called golden hour?
The Golden Hour is a relatively short period of time that is roughly 60-minutes post-sunrise and 60-minutes pre-sunset. During these periods the sun is lower in the sky, and often warmer.
The golden hour is also known as the “magic hour.? This is because, during the golden hour, the sun is low in the sky, providing a soft, diffused light that is much more favorable than the harsh midday sun that so many of us are used to shooting in.
In my opinion this is absolutely the best time to film achieve the “cinematic look.” I use the technique of locating the actual glow of the sun behind my subject while at brief moments the movement of the subject reveals the sun. However it is never recommended to look or stare directly at the sun.
A great tool to assist with the awesome images that one can capture is to use a wide angle lens as an establishing shot. It can really set the stage for the images to follow whether shot close, medium or wide.
Camera settings:
1. Always set your White Balance accordingly to produce the best possible image.
2. Make sure your histogram is showing the shadows and highlights being properly balanced (here is one of my favorite videos to explain the histogram)
3. Use an ND filter if the sun overpowers getting the correct exposure.
4. Always use smooth camera motion for the establishing shot while capturing that beautiful golden magical light from the sun.
5. Be sure to experiment and have fun.
Once all of these steps are done, it’s time to head to your editing software and color grade that awesome footage you just captured. 😊
In my opinion here is one of my favorite tools to give your footage that polished cinematic look. ⬇️
With a couple of clicks of a button you can instantly have the film look. There are plenty of settings within the plug-in to choose from to give your footage the finished look. One of my favorite film looks within the program is “Ambrotype (by Anatolee Green). It gives your footage a very unique greenish look.
Another great tool that I use in video editing is Envato Elements. They have an abundance of assets to give your finished product the film look. Check it out here..
Here is a product list of some of the tools used I frequently use to film at golden hour.
In conclusion I hope some of these suggestions can help you with filming at golden hour.
