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Magic Hour Letters to Paul (Aug. 7, 2021) |
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Yes, Paul, sunrise is one of the best times to take photos. 30
minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunrise is called
the "Magic Hour". The same with sunset,
it is the most beautiful light for taking photos. I can see the
light on this eagle is soft and beautiful. If you had taken it
in the middle of the day the light would be harsh and you would
not have very much detail in the white. Look at my penguin
picture and read the comments (click
here) Notice that I said "then
suddenly a sea fog moved between us and the morning sun, giving
me a soft, warm, diffused light that was perfect. I couldn't
leave now! Instead I spent yet another hour with my eye glued to
the eyepiece and my finger on the shutter button." The next day Paul responded so I sent this follow up letter: Sunset and sunrise are the "Magic Hour" because it's when the light is prettiest (if the clouds aren't too heavy.) But other times you can get good light, too. The point is you don't want a hard light, a strong light. Hard light also makes hard shadows, and frequently the camera cannot record very bright spots and very dark shadows at the same time. Especially if you are photographing eagles. The heads are very white, the body is very dark. You can try different exposures, but you will lose some detail in either the white or the dark brown. If you have clouds you can also get softer light. You watch the clouds, some clouds will give you more beautiful light than others. If it is a heavy cloud the light will be blue and dark. If it is a thin cloud, or a soft cloud, the light will be softer and more beautiful. Remember the penguins I was photographing? It was very late in the morning and I was going to leave when the fog came in from the sea. The light was very beautiful because the sunlight could go through the fog. Even though the sunlight was on the penguins it was a soft warm light, not a hard light. That's why I decided to stay and take more photos of the penguins. |