Beautiful Scenery Photos
What's the Best Time of Day?
Beautiful scenery photos delight the eyes and lift the spirit of a viewer.
But is there a secret? What is the best time of day for a scenic picture?
Most people just go out and snap landscape pictures without ever thinking about how light affects the subject. They simply don't understand a simple concept about outdoor photography.
What is a scenery photo?
Beautiful scenery pictures capture the grandeur of a natural landscape. It may or may not include people, but usually doesn't. Scenery photos capture the beauty of a place whether it is a field, forest, or mountain. Scenery photos help us preserve the memory of places we've visited in our travels.
Does time of day affect a photo?
Every day the sun moves quickly across the sky and the available light changes constantly all day. It can be confusing to know how to take advantage of the light to get a beautiful scenery photo. Morning? Noon? Afternoon? Evening?
Lighting is incredibly important for scenery shots. A scene is dramatically affected by the time of day you take a photo. Shooting at the right time of day can make the difference between a beautiful and an "ok" photograph.
So what is the best time of day to photograph scenery?
You may have heard of the "magic hour" or perhaps "golden hour" of photography. Put simply, the first and last hour of sunlight during the day have the honor of being called the "magic hour" of photography.
These hours in early morning and late afternoon create beautiful scenes of light. Professional photographers recognize and take advantage of this time of day. Often they will save their photography for this special time: one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset.
Why is this the best time of day?
When the sun is low in the sky, its light is warm and golden in hue. The sunlight casts a magical glow over everything it touches. This flattering light enhances and beautifies the colors of the scene.
The low angle of the sun makes the sunlight softer and more diffused in nature. The low angle also creates longer shadows. The light is directional and emphasizes shapes and textures of a landscape.
What is the difference between morning and evening light?
Typically the light at dawn is cooler, and the air is clearer. So early morning scenery photos have a rich, fresh, crisp feel to them.
On the other hand, light in the late afternoon is warmer. The tones in the sky are richer, there is more dust in the air, and there are lots of opportunities for lovely landscapes with a beautiful sky as backdrop.
Is it the "only" time of day to take pictures?
Absolutely not! Beautiful scenery photos can be taken at anytime of day. In fact, most of us rarely take pictures during the "magic hour." We just have to learn to work with the available lighting, and do our best to take advantage of the best light of the day, the "magic hour."
Are you wondering how to take advantage of this amazing light?
It does take careful planning. You'll have to be at your location ahead of time. Plan your photo. Be ready for the perfect shot as the sun moves up or down, as the case may be. To really take advantage of these "magic hours" you'll have to rise early to beat the sun out of bed. Then you'll be going to bed late after catching the last rays of the sun.
Why is the light during mid-day less desirable?
In the middle of the day, the bright sunlight overhead creates bright highlights and harsh shadows. A place can look entirely different in direct sunlight than in the softer light of morning and evening. In fact, I have heard that some photography editors refuse to look at scenery shots unless they were taken during the "golden hour."
What if the timing is too inconvenient for you?
If you want beautiful scenery photos, you'll have to be pretty dedicated. Most people aren't even up yet, or still eating breakfast at the optimum time in the morning for scenery photography. Then in the evening, most people are eating dinner.
You'll probably have to change your schedule to make it work. And this is a sacrifice that most people aren't willing to make. Maybe it won't work out all of the time. But try it, at least once in a while, and the results will be well worth the extra effort.
Now you know the secret.
Take your landscape photos during the "magic hours" of sunrise and sunset. Your pictures will dramatically stand out from the average photographer who take their scenery photos at any time of day. They don't even think about how light affects a scene.
When your friends see your beautiful scenery photos, they'll be wondering what your secret is!
