When is the golden moment of photography day and how to capture it?

Professional photographers use the word "golden moment" to describe the best time of the day. Let's take a closer look at this concept.

One of the most important factors in photography is lighting. Without proper lighting, you will eventually get a dull picture. This is especially true for street shooting, because it is very difficult or almost impossible to illuminate objects with artificial lighting, and you must rely entirely on natural light.

Therefore, it is necessary to determine the best lighting time. Since the appearance of cameras, professionals and amateur photographers have been asking this question and found a solution. The best time of the day is called "golden moment".

First of all, what is a "golden moment"

Prime time is about the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. The length of this period depends on the season. During this time, the sun hangs on the horizon, giving off soft scattered light-more suitable for shooting than the harsh midday sun, but many of us prefer to take pictures with it.

In prime time, the light is soft, scattered and warm.

By using prime-time lighting, the contrast in photos will be reduced, thus reducing the possibility of "missing" some objects and "overexposing" bright parts in deep shadows. Warm tones in prime time bring pleasant feeling to the composition, while long shadows bring out the best details and increase the texture and size of the image.

Taking pictures at sunrise and sunset will make people around you relatively few, so that you can take pictures with peace of mind.

Second, when to use prime time?

The concept of prime time applies to any kind of street photography-from obvious things such as scenery and city scenery to still life paintings of portraits, flowers and even cars.

Professional photographers worship idols only at this time of the day, while some of them refuse to shoot at other times. Of course, you shouldn't take it as a dogma, but at least you should listen to the actual situation.

Third, the definition of golden moment.

The fastest and easiest way to calculate the prime time is to use the prime time calculator. This calculator is based on a more complicated algorithm than the one we described above, and you can easily get accurate results.

Determining the prime time you plan to shoot will help you shoot.

Another way to determine the golden moment is to determine the time of sunrise and sunset. The easiest way is to use an online sunrise and sunset calculator.

Besides-technically, the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset are the same prime time.

Fourth, prime-time shooting skills

If you have determined the subject of photography and prepared suitable equipment for it. Please read some tips before pressing the shutter button.

Use a tripod. Usually, the lights are not bright after sunrise and before sunset. However, don't wait for brighter light, because it will miss the wonderful color and texture of the object. Just install the camera on a tripod, lower the ISO, and shoot with a low-speed shutter.

Allow enough time to prepare for the setup. It is very important to make full preparations, arrive at the place in advance (even in the middle of the night if necessary) and make all necessary adjustments.

Don't stop filming. During prime time, the lighting changes quickly, and your composition will be completely different in a few minutes. So please make full use of this hour to shoot continuously and get various effects.

Stock up on hot drinks and flashlights. It's cold at sunrise and sunset. It sounds obvious, but believe me, sometimes you forget. A flashlight will help you understand your actual situation and know where you are going. Hot drinks will warm you up while waiting for the right camera.

Prime-time shooting will bring more color, texture and depth to the image.

There is no doubt that prime-time shooting is a breakthrough in street photography. Of course, this means that you will use a camera when you are used to lying in bed. Try it yourself and see what happens to your photos.